Environmental Studies

(SSC202)
Lesson 1: Introduction
Falak Shad Memon
Institute of Business Management (IoBM)
Definition

 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. Its components
include biology, geology, chemistry, physics, engineering, sociology, health,
anthropology, economics, statistics, computers and philosophy.
Environment

 The environment encompasses virtually everything that surrounds an organism in

holistic ecological approach.
 Most of us live in landscapes that have been heavily modified by human beings, in
villages, towns or cities. But even those of us who live in cities get our food supply
from surrounding villages and these in turn are dependent on natural landscapes such as
forests, grasslands, rivers, seashores, for resources such as water for agriculture, fuel
wood, fodder, and fish. Thus our daily lives are linked with our surroundings and
inevitably affects them
Segments of environment

 Natural Environment
1. Abiotic (Non Living)
 Solar radiations, air . Light , oxygen , CO2 acidity etc
2. Biotic (Living)
 Microbes, plants and living organisms

 Man Made Environment

 Social Environment
 Major Environmental Components

The lithosphere is the layer of land that forms Earth's surface. The lithosphere
includes the rocks, soil, and sand that make up land.

The hydrosphere includes all the parts of Earth that are made up of water. The
hydrosphere includes oceans, lakes, and rivers, as well as underground water and
clouds in the air.

The atmosphere is the layer of air that surrounds Earth.

The atmosphere is an envelope of gases that surrounds Earth and includes the air you
breathe. Scientists divide the atmosphere into four layers. Starting from the Earth's
surface, these layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and
thermosphere. Gases become less dense the farther they are from Earth's surface.

The Biosphere
Scientists spend much time trying to understand how the different parts of Earth
interact with each other and with the planet's living organisms. These interactions
among nonliving and living parts of the Earth are the subject of ecology. The word
ecology comes from the Greek word oikos, meaning home. Ecology is the study of
 The Lithosphere
The lithosphere thickness varies and is about 50 kilometers (km). The rocks are
classified on the basis of how they were formed. Three main types of rocks make up the
lithosphere:
 Igneous rock: Below the hard, solid lithosphere, Earth's interior contains hot, melted
rocks in liquid form. When liquid rock cools, it solidifies to become igneous rock. The
lava that flows from a volcano cools and turns into igneous rock. Granite and basalt are
two common types of igneous rock.

 Sedimentary rock: Rocks break down slowly over time. The tiny pieces of rock that
wear off become sediments that are carried away by wind and water. These sediments
eventually settle down into layers. As layers of sediments accumulate, they become
compressed and cemented into sedimentary rock. Fossils are almost always found in
sedimentary rock. Limestone and sand­stone are examples of sedimentary rock.

 Metamorphic rock: Pressure and heat deep in the lithosphere can cause igneous and
sedimentary rocks to undergo changes in structure. Rock that has been transformed by
heat and pressure is called metamorphic rock. Marble and slate are familiar examples
of metamorphic rock.
The Hydrosphere

 The hydrosphere flows to almost every part of the planet. The shores and
riverbanks where the lithosphere and the hydrosphere meet are some of
Earth's most heavily populated parts.
 70 percent of Earth's surface is covered by water. When viewed from
space, Earth appears mostly blue.
The Atmosphere
The atmosphere is an envelope of gases that surrounds Earth
and includes the air you breathe.

Air is an important life sustaining resource. Man consumes

daily about 2kg of food, 3kg of water and 15 kg of air.

The atmosphere is made up of about 78 percent nitrogen and 21

percent oxygen. Water vapor, dust particles, and small amounts
of other gases make up the remaining 1 percent of the air.

Only about 0.04 percent of the air is made up of carbon dioxide.

.
Effect of Modern society on our
Environment
 Over the past 200 years however, modern societies began to believe that easy answers
to the question of producing more resources could be provided by means of
technological innovations. For example, though growing more food by using fertilizers
and pesticides, developing better strains of domestic animals and crops, irrigating
farmland through mega dams and developing industry, led to rapid economic growth,
the ill effects of this type of development, led to environmental degradation.
 The industrial development and intensive agriculture that provides the goods for our
increasingly consumer oriented society uses up large amounts of natural resources
Resource Depletion

 Nonrenewable resources, such as minerals and oil are those which will be exhausted
in the future if we continue to extract these without a thought for subsequent
generations.
 Renewable resources, such as timber and water, are those which can be used but can
be regenerated by natural processes such as regrowth or rainfall. But these too will be
depleted if we continue to use them faster than nature can replace them.
 For example, if the removal of timber and firewood from a forest is faster than the
regrowth and regeneration of trees, it cannot replenish the supply.
 Our natural resources can be compared with money in a bank. If we use it rapidly, the
capital will be reduced to zero. On the other hand, if we use only the interest, it can
sustain us over the longer term. This is called sustainable utilisation or development.
Concept Map of the Environment