EDUCATION IS
IMPORTANT
“Environmental education provides important opportunities for students to
become engaged in real world issues that transcend classroom walls. They can
see the relevance of their classroom studies to the complex environmental issues
confronting our planet and they can acquire the skills they’ll need to be creative
problem solvers and powerful advocates.”
It is estimated that by 2030, the world population of 7 billion will demand twice as
many resources as the planet can supply (The Economist). Meeting the needs of
our global citizenry—ecologically, economically, culturally, spiritually, and more—
requires understanding and creative problem solving. Environmental education
equips learners with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to address complex
environmental challenges in the 21st Century.
Those are the reasons that’s why it is very important to have a clean environment.
You want clean air so you can breathe. Toxins in the air we breathe cause health problems
for us and other living beings. Factories and power plants belch pollutants into the air we
breathe. Filtering and treating before releasing into the air would reduce the pollution.
You need clean water to drink and to make food with. When water is contaminated (e.g.
dyes from garment factories, sewage, toxic chemicals from run-off from fertilizers and
pesticides, plastic litter and more), water is contaminated. That’s bad for our health, and
bad for the fish and marine life that live in it (and that we eat).
Today various kind of serious health problems like cancer are increasing fast
across the world and the main reason behind the increase of these health
problems is increasing pollution of our environment. The pollution of all
kinds is bad whether it is created by people or by the industry. We can find
many examples of industries in the world which have polluted the water
system in the area where they are located.
Environmental Awareness
Maybe some of you have seen posters, ads, and the like carrying the exhortation ''Go
Green!'' But, what does it mean to ''go green''? It takes a variety of forms, but
essentially, going green means being mindful of the natural environment and making
economic choices that aren't harmful to the earth. For example, this might mean
purchasing a glass or ceramic water bottle instead of using disposable plastic water
bottles. Plastic takes an incredibly long time to break down, and a significant percentage
of plastic makes it to the oceans, where it kills plant and animal life. Going green might
also involve using an all-natural hair-care product, instead of a can of aerosol spray
containing toxic chemicals.
When people ''go green,'' they are practicing environmental awareness. The term
means exactly what you expect it to: being aware of the natural environment and
making choices that benefit--rather than hurt--the earth. In recent years, environmental
awareness has gained increased attention. It is fair to say it has become a bit of a trend:
from environmentally friendly tiny homes to organic food, environmental awareness is a
hot topic. However, it is nothing new and it ought to be more than just a passing fad
because of its importance. Let's dig deeper and learn more about environmental
awareness.
Examples
Homes
We have already cited a few examples of environmental awareness, but let's look at a
few more. Environmentally friendly homes and building materials are a great place to
start. In recent years, advanced nations have become more aware of harmful building
materials, such as asbestos, lead-based paint, lead pipes, and others. People can
demonstrate environmental awareness by choosing to use building materials that are
natural and that do not hurt the environment. Wood, stone, brick, copper, and other
materials are excellent choices.
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.
5. Participation:
To provide social groups and individuals with an opportunity to be
actively involved at all levels in environmental decision making.
Meaning of Environment
The word Environment is derived from the French word “Environ” which means “surrounding”.
Our surrounding includes biotic factors like human beings, Plants, animals, microbes, etc and
abiotic factors such as light, air, water, soil, etc.
Environment is a complex of many variables, which surrounds man as well as the living
organisms. Environment includes water, air and land and the interrelation ships which exist
among and between water, air and land and human beings and other living creatures such as
constituted by physical, chemical, biological, social and cultural elements, which are interlinked
individually and collectively in myriad ways.
The natural environment consist of four interlinking systems namely, the atmosphere, the
hydrosphere, the lithosphere and the biosphere. These four systems are in constant change and
such changes are affected by human activities and vice versa.
Components of Environment: Our environment has been classified into four major
components: 1.Hydrosphere, 2.Lithosphere, 3.Atmosphere, 4.Biosphere.
Hydrosphere Hydrosphere:
Includes all water bodies such as lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and ocean etc. Hydrosphere
functions in a cyclic nature, which is termed as hydrological cycle or water cycle.
Lithosphere Lithosphere
Means the mantle of rocks constituting the earth’s crust. The earth is a cold spherical solid
planet of the solar system, which spins in its axis and revolves around the sun at a certain
constant distance .Lithosphere mainly, contains soil, earth rocks, mountain etc. Lithosphere is
divided into three layers-crusts, mantle and core (outer and inner).
Atmosphere:
The cover of the air, those envelopes the earth is known as the atmosphere. Atmosphere is a
thin layer which contains gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide etc. and which protects the solid
earth and human beings from the harmful radiations of the sun.
Biosphere
It is otherwise known as the life layer, it refers to all organisms on the earth’s surface and their
interaction with water and air. It consists of plants, animals and micro-organisms, ranging from
the tiniest microscopic organism to the largest whales in the sea. Biology is concerned with how
millions of species of animals, plants and other organisms grow, feed, move, reproduce and
evolve over long periods of time in different environments.
• It has a positive impact on student achievement in core subjects. When integrated into the
core curricula or used as an integrating theme across the curriculum, environmental education
has a measurably positive impact not only on student achievement in science but also in
reading, math, and social studies. Moreover, outdoor activities increase student engagement
and interest in science and in all core subjects.
• It helps improve the health of children. Field experiences and related programs as part of the
regular school curriculum contribute to healthy lifestyles through outdoor recreation and sound
nutrition. Getting kids outdoors to exercise, play and experience their natural world is an
important tool in the battle to prevent obesity, alleviate attention deficit disorder and address
other related health problems. • It provides critical tools for a 21st Century workforce. We will
next generation a solid understanding of these problems and the basic tools to overcome them
and make informed choices in their own lives. Business leaders also increasingly believe that an
environmentally literate workforce is critical to their long term success. Finally, environmental
education helps prepare students for real-world challenges.
Soil erosion removes the top soil that is necessary for organic matter, nutrients, micro-
organisms that are requires for plants to grow and shine. Soil conservation is one such
step that protects the soil from being washed away. The soil then ends up in aquatic
resources bringing in pesticides and fertilizers used on agricultural land. Healthy soil is
important for plants to grow and flourish. Taking necessary steps to conserve the soil is
part of environmentally friendly lifestyle. There are several ways to conserve soil that can
be done through agricultural practices or measures you take at home.
“Soil conservation is the prevention of soil loss from erosion or reduced fertility caused
by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination. Slash-
and-burn and other unsustainable methods of subsistence farming are practiced in some
lesser developed areas. A sequel to the deforestation is typically large scale erosion, loss
of soil nutrients and sometimes total desertification.”