Revision Notes

Class - 11 Economics
Chapter 9 – Environment and Sustainable Development

What is the Environment?

The environment is the sum total of all the biotic elements like plants and animals
and abiotic elements like the air, water, soil, and minerals that make up our
surroundings and impact our existence and the quality of our life.

Functions of Environment
● Offers resources: The environment offers resources for production. It includes
physical resources like minerals, wood, water, soil, and others which can be used
as inputs for production. Normally, two types of resources are provided by the
environment, namely:
o Renewable resources: Renewable resources are those that can be used
indefinitely without getting depleted or exhausted. For example, air, sunlight
etc.
o Non- Renewable resources: These are the resources that deplete over time
as a result of extraction and use. For example, coal, fossil fuels etc.
● Environment sustains life: It includes resources like sun, soil, water, and air
which are essential for the sustenance of human life. The absence of these
elements implies no existence of life.
● Environment assimilates waste: Production and consumption generate waste
that the environment absorbs.
● Enhances the quality of life: The environment enhances the quality of life
through its aesthetic and scenic beauty.

Carrying capacity of the environment:

● It refers to the situation where the exploitation of resources does not exceed the
regeneration of resources and; the generation of wastes does not exceed the
absorption capacity of the environment so that the environment is not polluted.
● Environmental crises occur when the carrying capacity of the environment is
exceeded through excessive exploitation of natural resources and/or through the
excessive generation of wastes.

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Absorptive Capacity:
The ability of the environment to absorb degradation and pollution is referred to as
absorptive capacity.

Global Warming
Since the Industrial Revolution, the increase in greenhouse gases has resulted in a
progressive rise in the average temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere.

Ozone Depletion
The phenomenon of ozone depletion refers to a decrease in the amount of ozone in
the stratosphere. High amounts of chlorine and bromine chemicals in the
stratosphere contribute to ozone depletion. These chemicals are derived from
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are utilised as cooling agents in air conditioners
and refrigerators, as well as aerosol propellants.

State of India’s Environment

● India is rich in natural resources and biodiversity. But, the development activities
have led to increased pressure on limited natural resources.
● The major environment-related issues are
a. Land Degradation
b. Air Pollution
c. Biodiversity Loss
d. Management of Freshwater
e. Solid Waste Management.

a. Land degradation
It refers to the loss of fertility of the land which occurs due to the following
reasons:
● Loss of vegetation that occurs due to deforestation.
● Excessive extraction of fuelwood and fodder.
● The practice of shifting cultivation.
● Forest land encroachment.
● Forest fires and overgrazing.
● Lack of implementation of soil conservation measures.
● No or improper crop rotation.
● Excessive use of agrochemicals like fertilizers and pesticides.
● Inefficient planning and management of irrigation systems.
● Excess extraction of groundwater.
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 b. Air pollution
It occurs owing to the presence of pollutants in the air. These are contributed by:
● Smoke is emitted by the industries, particularly those using coals as energy.
● Poisonous gases emitted in the process of chemical treatment of materials.
● The emission of gases by motor vehicles is assuming alarming proportions
due to the exponential rise in the number of vehicles.

c. Biodiversity loss
It refers to the decline, depletion or extinction of the living species of the world
due to reasons such as, climatic change, pollution, over-exploitation of natural
resources etc.

d. Management of Freshwater
Improper management of water resources, or water pollution is another issue the
environment is facing. The water pollution is caused due to:
● Industrial waste discharged in water resources that contaminates the water
owing to toxic chemicals and pollutants.
● Dumping household wastes in the water resources.
● The use of chemicals and fertilizers by the farmers also adds to the water
pollution, as when it rains, the chemicals get mixed up with the rainwater,
which then flows to rivers etc.
● Doing household chores like washing clothes, bathing etc also impacts the
quality of water.

e. Solid Waste Management

Huge piles and dump of wastes in rural and urban areas leads to various diseases
and health problems. Improper segregation of household waste, littering on the
roads, etc pose a serious threat to the environment, hence there is an urgent need
of management of solid waste.

Sustainable Development
According to the UNCED, sustainable development is the ‘development that meets
the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future
generation to meet their own needs’.

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Strategies for Sustainable Development
● Use of Non-Conventional sources of energy
The dependency on thermal and hydro energy has adverse effects on the
environment. Thermal power plants release a lot of carbon dioxide into the
environment and can also cause water pollution. Hydroelectric projects damage
the forests and natural flow of water. Sources like wind power and solar rays are
better sources of energy for the environment.

● LPG, Gobar Gas in Rural Areas

The use of wood, cow dung, or other biomass fuels encourages deforestation,
reduction in green cover, wastage of cattle dung, and air pollution. Instead, the
use of gobar gas and LPG is recommended. The cattle dung is used to produce
gobar gas which is a cleaner fuel and the slurry is an excellent fertilizer. LPG,
which is also a clean fuel, reduces household pollution considerably.

● CNG in Urban Areas

The use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in public transport has significantly
reduced air pollution.

● Wind Power
In high wind areas, wind turbines are installed to move the wind to generate
electricity without any adverse effect on the environment. Though the initial cost
of setup is high, the benefits absorb the costs in the long run.

● Solar Power through Photovoltaic Cells

India is endowed with abundant sunlight which is a rich source of energy. Solar
energy and its conversion into electricity is an effective answer not only to the
problem of economic growth but also the problem of sustainable development.

● Mini-Hydel Plants
Streams in India can be used to generate energy by installing mini-hydel plants.
These streams can move turbines which generate electricity. This power can be
used to meet local requirements. They are eco–friendly and do not alter the land
use pattern.

● Traditional Knowledge and Practices

India is a country where people have been closely connected to their environment.
All our traditional practices have been eco-friendly. When we started to drift
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 away from traditional systems and heritage, we caused damage to our
environment. Adopting simple and traditional practices not only helps us lead a
healthy life but also protects us from the side effects of modern products and
services.

● Biocomposting
Large-scale use of chemical fertilizers had adversely affected productive land and
water bodies. Compost made from organic wastes of different types serve as
excellent and eco-friendly fertilizers.

● Bio pest Control

Chemical pesticides showed negative effects on food products, soil, water bodies,
and groundwater. Plant-based pesticides like neem trees are effective pest
controlling agents. Awareness is also being spread about a variety of birds and
animals that help in pest control.

● Shift to organic farming

Shifting from conventional farming to organic farming also helps in sustaining
the environment as through organic farming the nutrients of the are restored back,
which is not the case in conventional farming.

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