Introduction

Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or

governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and (or) humans. Due to the pressures of
population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. This has
been recognized and governments began placing restraints on activities that causedenvironmental degradation.
Since the 1960s activism by the environmental movement has created awareness of the various environmental
issues. There is not a full agreement on the extent of the environmental impact of human activity and protection
measures are occasionally criticized.

Academic institutions now offer courses such as environmental studies, environmental

management and environmental engineering that study the history and methods of environmental protection.
Protection of the environment is needed from various human activities. Waste, pollution, loss of biodiversity,
introduction of invasive species, release of genetically modified organisms and toxics are some of the issues
relating to environmental protection.

Environment Protection in India

There was a time when environment was treated as a bottomless phenomenon. The quantity of
consumers was simply trifling before the sheer magnitude of natural resources to be consumed.
Management of natural resources such as forests or minerals was done by locals who made use of
them. There was no profit motive behind exploiting environmental resources. There were no market
forces driving the engines of mass production. Environment was local. It was managed by locals
based on local indigenous knowledge. Time as well as modern science has proved that traditional
local management of environment and natural resources is the best. Whether it be Indians of Brazil or
Africans or Asians, they are the best caretakers of their resources because their knowledge of their
environment is time tested. Market forces, profit motive, mass production and modern technology have
damaged our natural environment to an alarming extent. Since our attention has been drawn to this
damage, we must use modern techniques, modern communication and capital to preserve and
improve our natural environment.

India is equipped with a solid brigade of legal provisions and policy documents designed to protect and
improve the natural environment. Article 48(a) directs the State to take strong measures not only for its
protection but also work actively for its improvement. Article 51(a) incurs a corresponding duty on the
citizen to do the same. We have an Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and a similar Water
Act. We have an Environmental Protection Act of 1986 amended from time to time to control
hazardous pollutants. Each one of our nine five year plans contains a chapter on safeguarding the
environment. We have Forest Acts stretching from 1861 to 1988. We have State and Central boards
for the prevention of pollution. Our Judiciary has been exceptionally active in allowing public interest
litigations that have resulted in the State being directed to take measures for its improvement or to
refrain from taking measures that would degenerate our ecology. However, the core issues effecting or
rather controlling India's natural environment have remained the same.

Who should control India's forest wealth? Should the traditional local tribal manage forest resources
with his age-old knowledge reducing the government to a mere assistant? On the other hand, should
forests be managed by the Central government? Before the British came to India, forests were the
property of locals who survived on them as well as took loving care of them. As British gained control
of India, they simply threw the tribal out of this management. Their concern was entirely different. They
gave contracts for felling forests and such felling was immense all across Indian sub-continent. They
wanted to increase revenue by selling timber and converting forestland into agricultural land. Timber
was required for the expansion of railways, construction of bridges and buildings. Right from the forest
Act of 1861 till 1927, the British disassociated the local traditional dweller from its management. All
these Acts contain a provision of arrest without warrant for anyone who encroached upon forestland
without permission from the British officer. Whether it be a cattle grazier or a woman collecting dry
wood for fuel. The same practice has continued after independence. Forest wealth has been
centralized and the local dweller is as angry with the administration as ever. Since he gets no incentive
by protecting his forest, he does not bother about it anymore. Until this issue of local versus
government control is resolved, forest resources will continue to be exploited and mismanaged in
India.

Governance
Many Constitutions acknowledge the fundamental right to environmental protection and many international
treaties acknowledge the right to live in a healthy environment.[2]

But complete environmental protection seems impossible at this current global position.

Also, many countries have organizations and agencies devoted to environmental protection. There are
International environmental protection organizations, as the United Nations Environment Programme.

European Union
Environmental protection has become an important task for the institutions of the European Community after
the Maastricht Treaty for the European Union ratification by all Member States. The EU is already very active in
the field of environmental policy with important directives like those on environmental impact assessment and on
the access to environmental information for citizens in the Member States.

New Zealand
At a national level the Ministry for the Environment is responsible for environmental policy and the Department of
Conservation addresses conservation issues. At a regional level the regional councils administer the legislation
and address regional environmental issues.

United States
Since 1970, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working to protect the
environment and human health.[3] All U.S. states have their own state departments of environmental protection.[4]
Environmental movement
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Apollo 8's Earthrise, December 24, 1968

The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all

others.

The environmental 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 (not enemy of)
ecosystems, the movement is centered on ecology, health, and human rights.

The environmental movement is represented by a range of organizations, from the large to grassroots. Due to its large
membership, varying and strong beliefs, and occasionally speculative nature, the environmental movement is not
always united in its goals. At its broadest, the movement includes private citizens, professionals, religious devotees,
politicians, and extremists.