SOCIAL CAUSES AND

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:
Environmental issues are harmful effects of human activity on the biophysical
environment. Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the natural
environment on the individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of
both the environment and humans. Environmentalism, a social and environmental
movement, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN INDIA:

There are many environmental issues in India. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage
domestically prohibited goods and pollution of the natural environment are all challenges
for India. Nature is also causing some drastic effects on India. The situation was worse
between 1947 through 1995. According to data collected and environmental assessments
studied by World Bank experts, between 1995 through 2010, India has made some of the
fastest progress in addressing its environmental issues and improving its environmental
quality in the world. Still, India has a long way to go to reach environmental quality similar
to those enjoyed in developed economies. Pollution remains a major challenge and
opportunity for India.

POSSIBLE ISSUES:
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 or 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:
1. POPULATION GOWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY:
The earth’s population is increasing drastically. It is estimated to be more than seven
billion. The increasing population has led to a shortage of resources. If this continues, it will
be very difficult to sustain such a huge population. The other environmental issues including
pollution, waste management, deforestation, climate change and global warming are all
associated with over-population.
2. WATER POLLUTION:
Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually
as a result of human activities. Water bodies include for example lakes, rivers, oceans,
aquifers and groundwater. Water pollution results when contaminants are introduced into
the natural environment.
Water pollution drastically affects aquatic life. Humans are affected by pollution and
can contract diseases such as hepatitis through faecal matter in water sources. Poor
drinking water treatment and unfit water can always cause an outbreak of infectious
diseases such as cholera, etc.

3. AIR POLLUTION:
Air pollution is caused by solid and liquid particles and certain gases that are
suspended in the air. These particles and gases can come from car and truck exhaust,
factories, dust, pollen, mold spores, volcanoes and wildfires. The solid and liquid particles
suspended in our air are called aerosols.
Air pollution can also cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Long-term
health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases
such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people's nerves,
brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs.

4. SOLID WASTE POLLUTION:

Solid waste pollution is caused mainly through urbanization and through
industrial waste. It causes various diseases in human as bacillary dysentery, diarrhea and
amoebic dysentery, plague, salmonellosis, trichinosis, endemic typhus, cholera, jaundice,
hepatitis, gastro enteric diseases etc.

5. NOISE POLLUTION:
Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the
propagation of noise with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of
them harmful to a degree. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by
machines, transport, and propagation systems.
Noise pollution is considered to be any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects
the health and well-being of humans and other organisms. Exposure to loud noise can also
cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress. These health
problems can affect all age groups, especially children.

6. EROSION OF SANDS:
Coastal erosion is typically driven by the action of waves and currents, but also by
mass wasting processes on slopes, and subsidence (particularly on muddy coasts). On
coastal headlands, such processes can lead to undercutting of cliffs and steep slopes and
contribute to mass wasting.
Instream mining lowers the stream bottom, which may lead to bank erosion.
Depletion of sand in the streambed and along coastal areas causes the deepening of rivers
and estuaries, and the enlargement of river mouths and coastal inlets. The effect of mining
is compounded by the effect of sea level rise.

7. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) makes up the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions from
the sector, but smaller amounts of methane (CH 4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are also emitted.
These gases are released during the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and
natural gas, to produce electricity.
Greenhouse gases have far-ranging environmental and health effects. They cause
climate change by trapping heat, and they also contribute to respiratory disease from smog
and air pollution. Extreme weather, food supply disruptions, and increased wildfires are
other effects of climate change caused by greenhouse gases.

SOLUTIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES:

i. Replace disposal items with reusable items.
ii. The use of paper should be avoided.
iii. Conserve water and electricity.
iv. Support environmental friendly practices.
v. Recycle the waste to conserve natural resources.

WHY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AE ALSO SOCIAL

PROBLEMS:
Environmental problems are simultaneously social problems, as the way they affect
different social groups is associated with ‘social inequality’. This is because social status
determines the extent to which a person is able to cope up with environment-related
problems. For example, in places like Gujarat where water I scarce, the rich famers invest in
deep bore tube wells to get underground water, whereas the poor farmers cannot afford to
get tube wells. The depletion of water is compounded when the rains fail, as the wells of
poorer farmers become dry.
However, some environmental problems, like air pollution and universal concerns.
Differences in perception exist over the constitution of public interest in terms of the
environment. These differences often result in decisions which hurt the interest of weaker
groups and minorities. For example, debates over the construction of large dams and the
displacement of people.