Unit 1

Understanding of Environmental Studies

Anwesh Roy, PhD

Department of Microbiology
(Molecular Biology Division)
KPCMCH
 So, it is no more
MANKIND…
It is our own Survival
 What is Environment?

• Environment can be
defined as a sum total of
all the living and non-
living elements and their
effects that influence
human life.
• While all living or biotic
elements are animals,
plants, forests, fisheries,
and birds, non-living or
abiotic elements include
water, land, sunlight,
rocks, and air.
What is Environmental Studies?
• Environmental studies deals
with every issue that affects
an organism. It is essentially
a multidisciplinary approach
that brings about an
appreciation of our natural
world and human impacts
on its integrity.
• It is an applied science as its
seeks practical answers to
making human civilization
sustainable on the earth’s
finite resources.
 What is Environmentalism?
• Environmentalism or environmental rights is a
broad philosophy, ideology, and social
movement about life, habitats, and
surroundings.
• Environmentalism is used as a general term to
refer to concern for the environment and
particularly actions or advocacy to limit negative
human impacts on the environment.
 The Multidisciplinary Nature of
Environmental Studies
• To understand the multidisciplinary nature of environmental
studies, we must first comprehend the literal definition of the
term multidisciplinary.

Multidisciplinary = Multi + disciplinary

• Disciplined research in a certain subject is what the term
“disciplinary” refers to.
• the combination of more than one discipline or topic of study.
 How is Environmental Study is
Multidisciplinary in nature?
Environmental Studies is a broad subject of study
that includes components of Physics, Chemistry,
Medical Science, Agriculture, Geography, and
Biology. It is not just limited to environmental
protection and resource management. Still, it also
emphasizes comprehension:

Pollution types and their negative consequences

on living creatures
Biodiversity, its forms, and the factors that
contribute to its depletion
Deforestation and strategies for increasing forest
cover
Desertification
Waste disposal and sewage treatment, for
example.
 The Multidisciplinary Nature of
Environmental Studies

Components
The Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies
Components
Anthropology: It is the study of human traits, biological and psychological well-being,
communities and cultures, and the growth and evolution of humans. EVS is
connected to anthropology since it studies humans and their environments
throughout place and time.
Biology: It is a field of science that focuses on the study of living creatures. Their
physical structure, chemical processes, molecular interactions, development, and
evolution are all included. EVS is connected to biology since it is concerned with the
natural environment of living creatures.
Chemistry: It is a field of science that examines chemicals and the components that
makeup matter. Understanding natural occurrences in EVS necessitates knowledge
of chemistry.
 Components

Computers: As the world has progressed, computers have become a need for
everyone. Computers are used by the Environmental Protection Agency to keep track
of pollutants found in soil and water.
Geology: It is the study of physical structures and substances found on Earth, as well as
their history and the processes that they go through. EVS is also concerned with the
study of the earth and environment.
Economics: It is a field of study concerned with the production, consumption, and
distribution of commodities and services. Various economic strategies have been
established to preserve the environment from pollution, global warming, and climate
change by evaluating and developing answers or cures for environmental concerns.
 Components

Physics: It is a field of science that examines energy and matter in space and
time, as well as their interactions. Physics is concerned with energy
conservation, atmospheric modelling, and many environmental concerns.
Sociology: It is the study of social life, change, social causes, and the social
repercussions of human action. It also addresses the connection between
contemporary society and the environment.
Statistics: It is the study of quantitative data collection, analysis, interpretation,
and presentation. It is also used to evaluate data in order to find trends and
recommend the optimal environmental growth.
What is the scope of the multidisciplinary nature
of environmental studies?
Some job profiles that can help you further your career in environmental studies include:

Hydrologist
Environmental Lawyer Environmental journalist
Professor Animal Services Worker
Wildlife Conservationist Greenhouse Manager
Environmental Land Consultant Forest Carbon Specialist (Arborist)
Environmental Accounting Environmental Planner
Mining Consultant Food Scientist
Researcher Activist
Botanist Geologist
Political Advisor Hazardous Waste Manager
Environmental Consultant Food Cooperative Specialist
Conservation Biologist Water Quality Inspector
Water Resource Manager Health Promoter
Environmental Analyst Agricultural Technologist
GIS Specialist Fisheries Consultant
Environmental Law International Developer
Oceanographer Conservation Officer
Ecologist Soil Scientist
Eco-tourism Operator Forest Resource Officer
Non-profit Administrator Air Quality Inspector
Environmental Land Consultant Urban Planner
Sustainability Development Manager
 Why is Environmental Studies?
Environment is not a single subject. It is an integration of several subjects that
include both Science and Social Studies.
•It aids in gathering knowledge regarding current environmental issues. It
provides us with the information and skills needed to address environmental
issues such as pollution, global warming, and climate change.
•It helps to maintain ecological balance by giving a fundamental understanding
of environmental systems and processes.
•It tells us about environmental changes induced by man-made factors.
•It also teaches us how to analyse diverse environmental systems and the
effects of human activity on the environment.
•Its objective is to protect and preserve biodiversity. It introduces us to various
flora and animal species. It provides us with several strategies for maintaining
and protecting them.
 Why is Environmental Studies?
It brings our attention to our environmental duties. It also notifies us about
several environmental issues that must be handled as soon as possible.
Environmental studies cover a wide range of themes, including energy
conservation, hazardous emissions, water conservation, rubbish disposal, rising
global temperatures, and many more.
Environmental Studies allow people to investigate and interact with their
natural and surrounding environments. It helps people better understand
human processes, natural occurrences, and other environmental changes.

World Environment Day is

celebrated on
5th June
On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Registrar of IIT Bombay Mr. Ganesh
Borkhade and other IIT Bombay staff along with students of Kendriya Vidyalaya School, IIT
Powai planted saplings in the campus on Sunday, June 5, 2022.
 What is Environmental Ethics?
•Environmental ethics is a branch of applied philosophy that studies the
conceptual foundations of environmental values as well as more concrete issues
surrounding societal attitudes, actions, and policies to protect and sustain
biodiversity and ecological systems.
•The call for a “basic change of values” in connection to the environment (intrinsic
values) reflected a need for the development of environmental ethics as a new sub-
discipline of philosophy.
•The new field emerged almost simultaneously in three countries—the United
States, Australia, and Norway (after 1970s).
 Types of Environmental Ethics
Libertarian Extension: Libertarian extension is a type of environmental ethics that
focuses on an individual’s right to do whatever they want with the environment and
its resources. This concept also stresses that an individual should not impose their
own values on others and should instead respect the choices of others.
Ecological Extension: Ecological Extension is a type of environmental ethics that
focuses on preserving the natural environment and its resources in order to
maintain the balance and health of the ecosystem. This concept stresses the
importance of humans working with nature in order to sustain it for future
generations.
Conservation Ethics: Conservation Ethics is a type of environmental ethics that
focuses on preserving natural resources for future generations by ensuring that
current resources are not depleted or damaged beyond repair. This concept
encourages individuals to use natural resources responsibly and judiciously so
there will be enough for future generations.
 Environment-Society Interface
•Man was mostly the recipient of the benevolence of the nature.
•Did they do justice as far as REPAY is concerned?
•Answer is NO.
•Starting from prehistoric era, human have hunted and gathered from the nature.
Evolution, progress and prosperity always have been deeply depended on
environment. We could not survive without natural resources.
•But with time, human have continuously neglected this blessing and taken things
for granted. As a result, it ended up in a unidirectional flow which gradually
destroyed the balance between nature and development.
•This is a high time when we take this matter into account and act accordingly.
•Rapid urbanization, deforestation, unregulated use of resources, less attention
towards conservation have led to the present situation.
•We need to ACT.
 What is Sustainability?
In the broadest sense, sustainability refers to the
ability to maintain or support a process
continuously over time. In business and policy
contexts, sustainability seeks to prevent the
depletion of natural or physical resources, so that
they will remain available for the long term.

Environmental Pillar
Initiatives that reduce the carbon footprint of the
business throughout the value chain.

Social Pillar
Initiatives promoting the wellbeing, health and safety of
communities, customers and employees.

Economic Pillar The Three Pillars of Sustainability

Initiatives that ensure businesses can thrive while making
these long-term positive impacts.
 Sustainable Development

According to SDC
"Sustainable development is
development that meets the
needs of the present, without
compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their
own needs."

Living within our environmental limits is one of the central principles of sustainable
development. One implication of not doing so is climate change.
Core Elements of Sustainable Development
Three core elements of sustainable development are economic growth, social inclusion and
environmental protection. It is crucial to harmonize them.
Sustainable economic growth, achieving sustainable livelihood, living in harmony with nature
and appropriate technology are important for sustainable development.
Environmental Sustainability:
It prevents nature from being used as an inexhaustible source of resources and ensures its
protection and rational use.
Aspects such as environmental conservation, investment in renewable energy, saving water,
supporting sustainable mobility, and innovation in sustainable construction and architecture,
contribute to achieving environmental sustainability on several fronts.
Social Sustainability:
•It can foster gender equality, development of people, communities and cultures to help
achieve a reasonable and fairly-distributed quality of life, healthcare and education across the
Globe.
Economic Sustainability:
•Focuses on equal economic growth that generates wealth for all, without harming the
environment.
•Investment and equal distribution of economic resources.
•Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions.
Goals of Sustainable Development
Goals of Sustainable Development
Goals of Sustainable Development
 What are the questions come with
the term Sustainable Development?

So is it all just about the environment?

If sustainable development focuses on the future, does that mean we

lose out now?

How does it affect me?

How do we make it happen?

So is it all just about the
environment?
The focus of sustainable development is
far broader than just the environment.
It's also about ensuring a strong, healthy
and just society. This means meeting
the diverse needs of all people in
existing and future communities,
promoting personal wellbeing, social
cohesion and inclusion, and creating
equal opportunity.
If sustainable development focuses on the future, does that mean we
lose out now?
Not necessarily. Sustainable development is about finding better ways of
doing things, both for the future and the present. We might need to
change the way we work and live now, but this doesn't mean our quality
of life will be reduced.
 How does it affect me?
The way we approach development
affects everyone. The impacts of
our decisions as a society have very
real consequences for people's
lives. Poor planning of
communities, for example, reduces
the quality of life for the people
who live in them. Sustainable
development provides an approach
to making better decisions on the
issues that affect all of our lives.

How do we make it happen?

We all have a part to play. Small actions, taken collectively, can add
up to real change.
THANK YOU