LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
UNIT-1 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
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Q: - MEANING OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.
Environmental Education is the new area of study of the discipline of education
with recent development and advances. Environment Education is virtually a new
source of concerns for educators, teachers and students.
“Environmental Education is the process of recognizing values of clarifying
concept in order to develop skills and attitude necessary to understand and
appreciate the Inter-relatedness among man, his culture and his bio-Physical
surroundings. It also entails picture in decision making and self formulation of code
of behavior about problems and issues concerning “Environmental Quality”
“Environmental Education is a way of implementing the goals of
environmental protection. It is not a separate branch of science or field of study. It
should be carried out according to the principles of lifelong integral education”.
Environmental Education appears to be process that equips human beings
with awareness, Knowledge, skills, attitudes and commitments to improve
environment.
Environmental Education refers to the awareness of Physical and Cultural
environment and perceives its relevance for real life situations. The problems and
issues are to be identified. The imbalances of environment are to be improved in
view of sustainable development.
The terms Environmental Education and Environmental Awareness are used Page
interchangeably for the some meaning but there is a significant difference in these | 4
two terms. The study of Physical and Bio-Sciences, Geography and agriculture
provides the environmental awareness does not help in developing skills and
attitudes for improving environment. Therefore, it is essential to understand the
concept of environmental awareness and differentiate it with Environmental
Education.
Environmental awareness may be defined as to help the social groups and
individuals to gain a variety of experience in and acquire a basic understanding of
environmental and its associated problems.
SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
As the subject is interdisciplinary, the areas identified belong to different
disciplines include:
Population ecology (Density, Natality, Mortality)
Ecosystem ecology (Food chain, Energy flow, Ecological succession)
Bio-geochemical ecology (Cycling of Nitrogen, CO2, O2,P etc.)
Radiation ecology (Nuclear fallout into Air, H2O or Land, causes and Control)
Natural resources (Forestry, Soil, Wildlife management, Conservation, Land use)
Pollution (Land, Air, Water Pollution, causes, Control measures)
Freshwater ecology (including lakes and ponds and lotic including streams an
rivers)
Remote sensing Page
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Hazards (Green House Effect, Global Warming, Ozone Layer Depletion, Acid
Rain, etc.)
IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Environment is closely related to living organisms. So its study is very important in
present scenario. Like all other living beings, humans have clearly changed their
environment. These changes in environment are vast and diverse. These changes
in environmental studies deeper in depth and wider in volume. The importance of
environmental studies is given below: -
Environmental studies is useful in controlling water pollution and in ecological
health.
It deals with air pollution check-up and teaches us diversified ecologies.
It also teaches us deforestations and forest conservation and gives us basic
knowledge of environment and associated problems.
It provides an opportunity to be involved at all levels working towards the
resolution of environmental problems.
It provides help to evaluate environmental measures and education
programmers in terms of ecological, social, aesthetic and education factors.
It develops skills for indentifying and solving environmental problems.
Environmental studies provide and awareness and sensitivity to the total
environment and allied problems.
It relates environmental sensitivity, knowledge, problem, problem-solving and Page
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values classification at every grade level.
It provides diverse learning about environment and different approaches to
teaching and learning about environment.
10) It promotes the value and necessity of local, national and international
cooperation in the prevention and solutions of environmental problems.
11) It requires focusing current, potential environmental situations.
12) Environmental studies help learners to discover the symptoms and the real
cause of environmental problems.
Apart from these, environmental studies are important in many files at all
levels in both formal and non formal levels.
Q: - OBJECTIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.
The objectives of environmental education can be submitted in three domains
discussed by Bloom on his book “Taxonomy of Educational Objectives” Cognitive,
affective and Psychomotor.
The objectives in the cognitive domain are:
To help acquire knowledge of the immediate environment.
To help acquire knowledge of the environment beyond the immediate
environment including distant environment.
To help understand the biotic and a-biotic environment.
To help understand the effects of unchecked population growth or unplanned
resources utilization on the world of tomorrow. Page
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To help diagnose the different causes of environmental pollution and to suggest
remedial measures.
To examine trends in the growth of population and interpret them for the socio-
economic development of the country.
To evaluate the utilization of Physical and human resources and suggest
remedial measures.
Besides the foregoing objectives, the following skills and ability also fall in the
Cognitive domain:
To help develop observational skills and notice details usually not seen by an
untrained eye.
To help develop ability to draw unbraided inferences and conclusions.
To help develop ability to make meaningful suggestions. The affective objectives
of environmental Education are:
To help acquire interest in the flora and fauna of the near and also distant
environment.
To show tolerance towards different casts, races, religions and cultures.
To appreciate the gifts of nature.
To love he neighbours and value mankind as a whole.
To value equality. Liberty, fraternity, truth and Justice.
CHANGING LIFE STYLES: The increase in use of modern amenities like motor cars,
refrigerators, air conditioners etc has caused environmental degradation due to
release of harmful gases into the air.. Page
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INDUSTRIALIZATION: Due to rapid industrialization, there is depletion of natural
resources like fossil fuels, mineral, timber, soil and contamination of water, air, soil
and great damage to ecosystem. Besides this agricultural development, solid
wastages, pollution, etc are some other causes of environmental degradation.
Q: - MEANING OF AIR POLLUTION.
AIR POPULATION
The WHO defines air pollution as the presence of materials in the air in such
concentration which are harmful to man and his environment. A number of
ingredients find their way in the air and these are mostly gases, which rapidly
spread over wide areas.
SOURSES OF AIR POPULATION
Various sources of air pollution are fossil fuels, industries, agricultural activities,
wars, natural cause’s arid emissions from vehicles.
(i) BURNING FOSSIL FUELS:-Burning of wood, charcoal and other fossil fuels causes air
pollution by the release of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon sulphur dioxide etc.
Petroleum consists mainly of hydrocarbons, sulphur and nitrogen.
(ii) EMISSIONS FROM AUTOMOBILES ;-Vehicles are mainly responsible for more than
80% of total air pollution. The major pollutants released from automobiles,
locomotives, aircraft etc., include CO, unburnt hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide. Page
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(iii) INDUSTRIES:-Paper and pulp factories, petroleum refineries, fertilizer plants, and
steel industries, thermal power plants are the main sources of air pollution. They
add various harmful gases like CO, SO3, NO, Hydrocarbons etc., to the
atmosphere. Textile factories release cotton dust into the air. Cities experiencing
this type of pollution are Kanpur, Surat and Ahmedabad. The pesticide and
insecticide industries are posing serious threat to the environment. Food
processing industries and tanneries emit offensive odors. Release of poisonous
gases from accidents also poses serious threats. e.g. Bhopal Gas Tragedy in which
methyl isocynate (MIC) gas leakage killed several people. In Tokyo, about 34 tones
of carbon particles mixed with other suspended particles settle per square
kilometer every day.
(iv) AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES:-Spraying of insecticides and weedicides also cause air
pollution. These, when inhaled create severe problems to both animals and man.
(v) WARS:-Various forms of explosives used in war pollute the air by releasing
poisonous gases. This greatly disturbs the ecology of the area. Nuclear explosions
pollute air by radioactive rays. The effects of nuclear explosions on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki are well-known examples.
(vi) NATURAL CAUSES:-Gas emissions from active volcanoes, marsh gas, spores of
fungi and pollens are the natural causes of air pollution.
(x) FLUORIDES:-Rocks, soils and. minerals containing fluorides release an extremely
toxic gas called hydrogen fluoride on heating. This gas is highly injurious to
livestock and cattle. Page
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CAUSES OF AIR POLLUTION
The various causes of air pollution are: -
NATURAL CAUSES: - Natural causes like volcano eruption, deflation of sand and dust,
forest fires etc cause air pollution.
MAN – MADE CAUSES: - They include human activities such as industries, factories,
urban centers, aircraft, nuclear experiments, automobiles, etc.
Following are some manmade causes of air pollution: -
i) AUTOMOBILES: - Automobiles pour tones of gaseous pollutants into the air daily
which accounts for 70% of the total air pollution.
ii) INDUSTRIES: - Industries are a major cause of air pollution. They release very
toxic gases e.g. Nitrogen oxides which pose the most serious air pollution control
challenge. Thee oxides come from both automobiles and from certain stationary
combustion sources. Industries include: -
PETROLEUM REFINERIES: - They emit a number of gaseous pollutants, chiefly SO2 and
NOx responsible for air pollution.
CEMENT FACTORIES AND STONE CRUSHES: - They emit plenty of dust, which is a
potential health hazard.
AESTHETIC LOSS
Dust and smoke spoils the beauty of nature. Especially the mountain
environments, which serve as a great attraction for tourists. Foul odours emitted Page
by industries, automobiles, dirty drains and garbage heaps in cities are a great | 24
nuisance.
REMEDIES/CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION
Following measures have been suggested to control air pollution-
(i) Some gases, which are more soluble in a particular liquid than air, for example,
ammonia in water, can be separated by dissolving in it
(ii) Particles larger than 50 mm are separated in gravity settling tanks. Using
cyclone collectors or electrostatic precipitators separates fine particles.
(iii) The height of chimneys should .be increased to the highest possible level to
reduce pollution at the ground level.
(iv) SO2 pollution can be controlled by extracting sulphur from the fuel before use.
(v) Pollution control laws should be enforced strictly.
(vi) Trees should be planted on the roadside, riverbanks, parks and’ open places as
they keep the environment fresh.
(vii) Population growth, which is the main cause of pollution should be checked.
(viii) Nuclear explosions should be restricted.
Q: - MEANING OF WATER POLLUTION.
WATER POLLUTION
Water is extremely essential for life, this common fact is known to all. It is required
to meet our basic needs in day to day life viz., cooking, drinking, bathing, disposal Page
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of sewage, irrigation, generating electricity in power plants, cooling and
manufacturing different products in industries and the disposal of industrial
wastes. During all these processes the undesirable substances are added to the
water resources to a great extent. This alters the basic chemistry of water in rivers
and streams.
SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION
(i) DOMESTIC SEWAGE:-This includes household’s wastes like food wastes, synthetic
detergents used for washing clothes and cleaning bathrooms and latrines and
water based paints.
(ii) INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS:-The industrial wastes are discharged in the adjoining
rivers and streams through flush lines of factories. The textiles, sugar and fertilizers
factories, oil refineries, drugs manufacture, rubber, and rayon fibers, the paper
industries and the chemical factories all produce Chemical pollution.
(iii) AGRICULTURAL SOURCE:-Increased use of fertilizers has become essential for high
yielding crop plants. Excess of nitrates used as fertilizers seep into ground water is
carried into lakes and pond. On entering the drinking water supply system these
create several health problems.
man-made water based pollutants. The main sources of oceanic pollution are
discharges of oil, greases, petroleum products, detergents, sewage and garbage
including radioactive wastes. Page
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CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION
The major causes of water-pollution are: -
1) SEWAGE AND OTHER OXYGEN-DEMANDING WASTES: -Large carbonaceous organic
material, the decomposition of which leads to oxygen depletion.
2) INFECTIOUS AGENTS.
3) Plant nutrients that can stimulate the growth of aquatic plants, which then
interfere with water uses and when decaying deplete the dissolved oxygen and
produce disagreeable odours.
4) Exotic organic chemicals, including pesticides, various industrial products,
surface active detergents, and the decomposition products of other organic
compounds.
5) Petroleum, especially from oil spills.
6) Inorganic minerals and chemical compounds.
7)Sediments consisting of soil and mineral particles washed by storms and
floodwater from croplands, unprotected soils, mine working, roads and bulldozed
urban areas.
EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION
The main effects of water pollutants are:
UNIT-1II ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
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Q: - SALIENT FEATURES OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS THROUGH EDUCATION. | 36
The best method to control the environmental pollution is to educate every
person in the country be made aware of the changing environment conditions.
Environmental organizations can be global, regional, national or local; they can be
government-run or private (NGO). Environmentalist activity exists in almost every
country. Moreover, groups dedicated to community development and social
justice also focus on environmental concerns.
There are some volunteer organizations.
1)THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL (NRDC): - Is a New York City-
based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with
offices in Washington DC, San Franciso, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing. Founded
in 1970. NRDE today has 1.3 million members and online activities nationwide and
a staff of more than 3000 scientists, attorneys and other specialists.
Worth magazine has named NRDC one of America’s 100 best charities,
Charity Navigator has given NRDC four out of four stars as of 2007, and the Wise
Giving Alliance of the Better Business Burau reports that NRDC meets its highest
standards for accountability and use of donor funds. The NRDC was co-founded in
1970 by John Adams, Gus Speth, John Bryson and a group of concerned law
students and attorneys at the forefront of the environmental movement.[5]The
organization lobbies Congress and other public officials for a public policy that
promotes conservation of the natural and built environment. The NRDC works Page
against urban sprawl, pollution, and habitat destruction and promotes actions to | 37
mitigate global warming and increase the use of renewable energy. It also
sometimes files suit in federal court against corporations and government
agencies for violations of the Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act. Other operations
carried out by the NRDC include public education and sponsorship of scientific
studies.
2) ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND OR EDF: - (Formerly known as environmental
defense) is a United States-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The
group is known for its work on issues including global warming, ecosystem
restoration, oceans, and human health. It is nonpartisan, and its work often
advocates market-based solutions to environmental problems.
3) THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION (NWF): - It is the United States’ largest
private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over
four million members and supporters, and 47 state and territorial affiliated
organizations. The NWF strives to remain “A national network of like-minded state
and territorial groups, seeking balanced, common-sense solutions to
environmental problems that work for wildlife and people.” Its mission statement
is “to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future.”
immense power at this direction, both constructive as well as destructive. He has
to make a choice.
Q: - EFFECT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON ENVIRONMENT. Page
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A:-Earth is the third planet out of from the center of the solar system, but it is very
different from other planets unlike its two immediate neighbors, Venus and Mars,
which both have atmospheres that are 95% to 97% Carbon dioxide, Earth 20.9% O 2
and Only 0.03% CO2. As a result much of the heat reaching the earth is scattered
back into space and earth has an average temperature of 14-150c. At this
temperature water can exist in a liquid state, making it possible for life to be
maintained on earth. Mother earth is blessed with thousands of perennial rivers
that supply sweet water to quench out thirst, an atmosphere that supplies oxygen
for our survival, a natural ozone umbrella that protects us from the dangerous U.V.
Rays, a variety of friends and millions of species of plants and animals that make
life interesting and challenging.
In a natural state, the earth’s life forms live in equilibrium with their
environment. Primitive humans used natural resources to satisfy their basic needs
of air, water, food and shelter. These natural and unprocessed resources were
readily available in the biosphere and the resist uses produced by the use of these
resources were generally compatible with or easily assimilated by the earth. Even
when use of fire became common the relatively small amounts of smoke
generated were easily and rapidly dispersed and assimilated by the atmosphere.
Early human populations left behind very few things which were not readily
broken down and absorbed by the environment. As these things were so few in
quantity, no significant impact was felt on the environment. It may not be out of Page
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place to quote Gandhi Ji, who rightly said;
“EARTH HAS ENOUGH TO SATISFY EVERY MAN’S NEED, BUT NOT FOR
EVERYONE’S GREED”
With the dawn of the industrial revolution, humans’ were better able than
ever to satisfy their needs for air, water, food and shelter. So, human turned their
attention to other needs beyond those associated with survival. Automobiles
household appliances, processed foods, and beverages etc have new become so
popular as to seem necessities and meeting these acquired needs become a major
thrust of Modern industrial society. Man uses much more material and energy war
than any other species on the earth. Human needs and greed’s coupled with
shortsightedness have disturbed the delicate ecological balance. Not only this,
humans are depleting and degrading the vital life supporting systems including air,
water and land which belong to the entire living world.
The fast development of Science and technology which resulted in the
establishment of a good number of variety of industries and the humanity for
sophisticated living are contributing significantly for the degradation of the
environment. If we close our eyes and let the trend continue in the same manner,
man on this globe may become so rare that he may require a sanctuary for his
protection.
Environmental ethics should become a part and parcel of human life. Only
this can save the environment and wildlife and ourselves too.
Q: - CONCEPT OF HAZAED, DISASTOR AND VULNERABILITY. Page
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HAZARD
Hazard is a situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property or
environment. A hazard becomes a disaster when it hits an area affecting the
normal life.
CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDS
Though hazards could be classified on many criteria; some of the general
classifications are as follows: (S. Gopalakrishnan).
_ Sudden onset hazards: geological and climatic hazards such as earthquakes,
tsunamis, floods, tropical storms, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
_ Slow onset hazards: (environmental hazards) drought, famine, environmental
degradation, desertification, deforestation, and pest infestation.
_ Industrial/Technological: system failures/accidents, spillages, explosions, and
fires.
_ Wars and civil strife: armed aggression, insurgency, terrorism, and other actions
leading to displaced persons and refugees.
_ Epidemics: water and/or food-born diseases, person-to-person diseases (contact
and respiratory spread), vecto born diseases and complications from wounds.
DISASTER
A disaster is a serious disruption of a functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human material economic or environmental losses and Page
impacts which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope | 59
using its own resources.
OR
DISASTER: A disaster is a natural, manmade or technological event that causes
significant physical damage or destruction, widespread loss of life or drastic
change to the environment. Disaster can destroy the economic, social and cultural
life of people.
TYPES OF DISASTER
NATURAL DISASTER: A natural hazard of severe situation is a process or
phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property
damage, loss of livelihood and services, social and economic disruption or
environmental damage on a large scale, e.g. earthquake, landslides, volcanic
eruption, floods, tornadoes, blizzard, tsunamis and cyclones and avalanches; cloud
bursts and stampedes.
MANMADE OR ANTHROPOGENIC DISASTERS: The human centered action, which
cause a threat, to the resource like property, lives, environment in every respect
due to the human negligence, error or involving a failure of human made system.
It is also harmful like natural disaster because it either can result in huge losses of
life, property as well as damage to peoples mental, physical and social well being,
e.g. 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, 1994 Kumbokonan school fire, terrorist attacks,
bomb blasts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, rail accidents, plane crushes, arson war Page
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etc,
AULNERABILITY
Vulnerability gives the extent to which a community is affected by a disaster. It
involves the measure of ‘resilience’ and ‘coping capacity’ of a community in the
face of disasters.
Vulnerability is an ‘inclusive’ concept in that vulnerability of a particular
community to a particular type of disaster (flood or earthquake) is a resultant of a
number of factors; including physical factors, (geographical perspective) social
(sociological perspective) and economic factors (income and employment,
involving micro and macroeconomic policy), besides institutional or administrative,
which are essentially governance related issues.
The process of vulnerability has been evidenced as proceeding along phases such
as; root causes, dynamic pressures that translate these into active problems, which
are a result of a priori decision-making in governance related matters over time,
for example, drought in a dry land area, leading to a famine in the absence of
disaster mitigation efforts.
“vulnerability”. Social scientists tend to view vulnerability as representing the set
of socioeconomic factors that determine people’s ability to cope with stress or
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