Environmental Education

1. Environmental Education S.Shanmuga Priya Dept of Chemical Engg MIT-Manipal

2. It is prescribed in the syllabus and carries 3 credits.MIT has introduced the subject at 1 year level as a core subject, in compliance with UGC directive (2005). Supreme court is its judgment has made learning of the subject mandatory at under graduate level (1991) University grants commission has directed all affiliated institutions to compulsorily teach the subject , for all the branches of engineering (2004). MIT has introduced the subject at 1 year level as a core subject, in compliance with UGC directive (2005).

3. Destruction of habitats, over-use of energy resource and environmental pollution have been found to be responsible for the loss of a large member of life-forms. It is feared that a large proportion of life on earth may get wiped out in the near future. In spite of the deteriorating status of the environment, study of the environment has so far not received adequate attention in our academic programs. Recognizing this, the Hon’ble Supreme Court directed the UGC to introduce a basic course on environment at every level in college education. Accordingly, the matter was considered by UGC and it was decided that a six months compulsory core module course in environmental studies may be prepared and compulsorily implemented in all the university colleges of India. The experts committee appointed by the UGC has looked into all the pertinent questions, issues and other relevant matters. This was followed by framing of the core module syllabus for environmental studies for undergraduate courses of all branches of higher education. We are deeply conscious that there are bound to be gaps between the ideal and real. Genuine endeavor is required to minimize the gaps by intellectual and material inputs. The success of this course will depend on the initiative and drive of the teachers and the receptive students.

4. You are going to be modern day professionals. • Being modern day professionals, you will be required to encounter environment related problem at all levels—most importantly as technical managers directly facing the society at large. • What do you mean by this? In what way we are responsible?

5. Environmental education • Environment is the physical and biotic habitat that surrounds us. • Environmental issues affect, and are affected by all our activities to varying degrees. • All educated citizens need to have a working understanding of the fundamental principles involved for environmentally responsible decision making. • Major goals of environmental education programs are to raise consciousness about environmental conditions and to teach environmentally appropriate behaviour. • Environmental education also aims to create an environmental ethic that fosters awareness about the ecological inter-dependence of economic, social and political factors in a human community and the environment.

6. Environmental education envisions a new paradigm of thinking that can meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. • Environmental education is evolving to be the education for sustainable and ethical development, both at the local and global level. • Environmental education will prepare the next generation to plan appropriate strategies for addressing issues. • It is aimed at increasing the public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and facts, opinions or skills to make informed decisions and take environmentally responsible actions.

7. Present environmental issues of global concern. The main environmental issues today are wide ranging and all encompassing, deforestation .Soil erosion, climate change, pesticide build-up, industrial and municipal pollution. Main cause: Anthropogenic interventions in the natural and self sustaining cycles. All these problems can be categorized into three main issues. Population explosion Land degradation Environmental pollution: Industrialization, agriculture, fertilizer, pesticide, greenhouse gases air pollution, acid rain, ozone depletion, greenhouse effect, water pollution, deforestation.

8. ENVIRONMENT PROBLEMS IN INDIA Environment problems in India can be put into three classes Problems arising from conditions of poverty and under development. Problems arising as negative effects of the very process of development. Problems arising from improper implementation protection of the directives and laws of environmental protection.

9. Guiding Principles and Features The following are some of the guiding principles and features suggested for effective environmental education. • Environmental education considers the environment in its totality. i.e. ecological, political, natural, technological, sociological, aesthetic and built environments. • It develops awareness of the importance, beauty and wonders that is and can be found in these aspects of the environment. • It explores not only the physical qualities of the human relationship with the environment but also the spiritual aspect of this relationship.

10. Environmental education is a response to the challenge of moving towards an ecologically and socially sustainable world. • It is concerned with the interaction between the quality of the biophysical environment and the socio economic environment. • It transcends the division of knowledge, skills and attitudes by seeking commitment to action in an informed manner to realistic sustainability. • Environmental education recognises the value of local knowledge, practices and perceptions in enhancing sustainability. • It supports relevant education by focusing learning on local environments.

11. Environmental education considers the global as well as the local environment. • It focuses on current and future perspectives on environmental conditions. • It is interdisciplinary and can be taught and used to enhance all subjects in curriculum. • It emphasises participation in preventing and solving environmental problems and revokes the passive accumulation of information about the environment. • It should foster and arouse sense of personal responsibility, greater motivation and commitment towards the resolution of the environmental situation. • It develops the skills to identify alternative solutions for environmental situations to clarify the values associated with the alternatives and to use these values to make decisions about which alternatives to choose.

12. Environmental education is necessary to make people aware of • The impact of our activities on the environment. • The need for protecting the environment. • The need for conserving resources. • The concepts of ecology. • The relevant legislations.

13. Importance of Environmental education • 5 – 16 June 1972 – UN organised the Stockholm conference on Human Environment. It initiated efforts to establish the need for environmental education at all levels – primary, secondary and higher levels of the education system and to make people in both rural and urban areas environmentally aware . • June 5th – World Environment Day • Aim of the conference was to lay emphasis on basic concepts such as the quality of life, environmental knowledge and awareness and participation of people.

14. Reasons for introducing environmental education are: • To make people aware of the impact of their activities on the environment. • To motivate students to get involved in community action and participate in various environmental and management projects. • To enable people to understand the complexities of the environment and adopt eco-friendly habits for sustainable development. • To integrate different approaches of the humanities, social sciences, biological and physical sciences and apply then in the investigation of environmental problems.

15. Public awareness • Public awareness to environmental issues can be created by • making people realise the importance and problems of environmental issues. • making people conscious of environmental conservation and creating awareness. • Conducting meetings to discuss the problems of environment • Exposing environmental problems through articles in news papers. • Involving both Govt and Non-Govt organizations in efforts to conserve the environment

16. Introducing Environmental science in all universities and colleges • Conducting environmental research and organizing seminars, conferences • Instituting awards for individuals and organization involved in environmental management.

17. Scope and Importance • Environmental education includes environmental science, environmental engineering and environmental management • Environmental Science: It is the scientific study of the environment i.e., the study of air, water, land and soil. It also incudes inherent or induced changes in organisms and environmental loss due to human activities. • Environmental engineering : It includes public health protection, development of legislation and business, quality standards, regulation and guidelines for environmental protection. It provides solution for a clean and hygienic environment. It can introduce techniques for ecological balance and improve the aesthetic quality of the environment. Treatment of contaminated water, liquid and solid waste, gaseous materials, preventive measures for protection of environment and development of effective regulation.

18. Environmental management: It is necessary for changing or developing the physical, social and economic structure of environment. It involves environmental strategies and environmental tactics. Environmental strategies are plans for improvement of the quality of environment. Envn tactics are the means of implementing the plans.

19. Scope and importance of Envn Education • To expose the problems of over pollution and population. • To enable us to make appropriate decisions for protection and improvement of Envn. • To understand the need for sustainable utilization of resources • To provide info about ecological systems, causes and effects. • To create awareness about various renewable and non-renewable resources of a region • To provide info about biodiversity and potential dangers to survival of specific species of plants, animals and micro organism. • To evaluate alternative responses to environmental issues.

20. Vision The importance of environmental science and environmental studies cannot be disputed. The need for sustainable development in a key to the future of mankind continuing problems of pollution, loss of forget, solid waste disposal, degradation of environment, issues like economic productivity and national security, global warming, the deletion of ozone layer and loss of biodiversity have made every one aware of environmental issues. The United Nations conference on environment and development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and world Summit on sustainable development at Johannesburg in 2002 have drawn at the attention of people around the globe to the deteriorating condition of our environment.

21. It is clear that no citizen of the earth can afford to be ignorant of environment issues. Environmental management has captured the attention of health care managers. Managing environmental hazards has become very important. Human beings have been interested in ecology since the beginning of civilization. Even our ancient scriptures have emphasized about practices and values of environmental conservation. It is now even more critical than ever before for mankind as a whole to have a clear understanding of environmental concerns and to follow sustainable development practices.

22. India is rich in biodiversity which provides various resources for people. It is also basis for biotechnology. Only about 1.7 million living organisms have been described and named globally. Still many more remain to be identified and described. Attempts are made to conserve them in ex-situ and in-situ situations. Intellectual property rights (IPRS) have become important in a biodiversity rich country like India to protect microbes, plants and animals that have useful genetic properties.