Define environmental studies and its scope
Answers
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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.
Scope
The environment consists of four segments of the earth namely atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere:
1. Atmosphere: The Atmosphere forms a distinctive protective layer about 100 km thick around the earth. A blanket of gases called the atmosphere surrounds the earth and protects the surface of earth from the Sun’s harmful, ultraviolet rays. It sustains life on the earth. It also regulates temperature, preventing the earth from becoming too hot or too cold. It saves it from the hostile environment of outer space. The atmosphere is composed of nitrogen and oxygen besides, argon, carbon dioxide and trace gases.
The atmosphere has a marked effect on the energy balance at the surface of the Earth. It absorbs most of the cosmic rays from outer space and a major portion of the electromagnetic radiation from the sun. It transmits only ultraviolet, visible, near infrared radiation (300 to 2500 nm) and radio waves. (0.14 to 40 m) while filtering out tissue-damaging ultra-violate waves below about 300 nm.
2. Hydrosphere: The Hydrosphere comprises all types of water resources oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, streams, reservoirs, polar icecaps, glaciers, and ground water. Oceans represent 97% of the earth’s water and about 2% of the water resources is locked in the polar icecaps and glaciers. Only about 1% is available as fresh water as surface water in rivers, lakes, streams, and as ground water for human use.
3. Lithosphere: Lithosphere is the outer mantle of the solid earth. It consists of minerals occurring in the earth’s crusts and the soil e.g. minerals, organic matter, air and water.
4. Biosphere: Biosphere indicates the realm of living organisms and their interactions with environment, viz atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.
The scope of environmental studies is very wide and it deals with many areas like i) Conservation of natural resources, ii) ecological aspects, iii) pollution of the surrounding natural resources, iv) controlling the pollution, v) social issues connected to it, and vi) impacts of human population on the environment.
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