scope and importance of environmental studies
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Answer:
The word ‘Environment’ is derived from the French word ‘Environner’ which means to encircle, around or surround. The biologist Jacob Van Uerkal (1864-1944) introduced the term ‘environment’ in Ecology. Ecology is the study of the interactions between an organism of some kind and its environment. As given by Environment Protection Act 1986, Environment is the sum total of land, water, air, interrelationships among themselves and also with the human beings and other living organisms. Environmental Science is the interdisciplinary field and requires the study of the interactions among the physical, chemical and biological components of the Environment with a focus on environmental pollution and degradation. Environment studies is a multidisciplinary subject where different aspects are dealt with in a holistic approach. The science of Environment studies comprises various branches of studies like chemistry, physics, life science, medical science, agriculture, public health, sanitary engineering, geography, geology, atmospheric science, etc. It is the science of physical phenomena in the environment. It studies the sources, reactions, transport, effect and fate of a biological species in the air, water and soil and the effect of and from human activity upon these. Environmental Science deals with the study of processes in soil, water, air and organisms which lead to pollution or environmental damages and the scientific basis for the establishment of a standard which can be considered acceptably clean, safe and healthy for human beings and natural ecosystems.
The Environment is about the surrounding external conditions influencing development or growth of people, animal or plants; living or working conditions etc. This involves three questions ie., what is surrounded, by what surrounded and where surrounded. The answer to the first is living objects in general and man in particular.Human life is concerned to be the main in the study of environment. However, human life cannot exist or be understood in isolation from the other forms of life like animal life and from plant life. Environment belongs to all living beings and is thus important for all. Hence, environment refers to the sum total of conditions surround in space and time. The scope of the term ‘Environment’ has been changing and widening by the passage of time. In the primitive age, the environment consisted of only physical aspects of the planet earth ie., land, water and air as biological communities. As of now, it includes social, economic and political conditions also.The answer for the question where surrounded is in nature that physical component of the planet earth, viz land, air, water etc., support and affect life in the biosphere..
1.2 DEFINITIONS OF ENVIRONMENT:
Some important definitions of environment are as under:
1. According to Boring, ‘A person’s environment consists of the sum total of the stimulation which he receives from his conception until his death.’ Indicating that environment comprises various types of forces such as physical, intellectual, mental, economical, political, cultural, social, moral and emotional.
2. Douglas and Holland defined that ‘The term environment is used to describe, in aggregate, all the external forces, influences and conditions, which affect the life, nature, behaviour and the growth, development and maturity of living organisms’.
1.3 SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENT:
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.