ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND LAW

What is environment?

 The environment “is the sum of the total of the elements, factors and conditions in the
surroundings which may have an impact on the development, action or survival of an
organism or group of organisms, such as, we human beings.”
 It can also be defined as “external surroundings and conditions which directly or
indirectly affects the living organism”.
 Environment consist of: BIOTIC FACTORS = living components in an environment
ABIOTIC FACTORS = non-living components in an environment
 Biotic factors and Abiotic factors that surround us and with which we interact. These
biotic and abiotic components are in dynamic state; they constantly affect each other
and cannot be isolated from each other.
Components of Environment:

 Environment can be divided into four components: • Atmosphere • Hydrosphere •

Lithosphere • Biosphere
1. Atmosphere: It is the mixture of various gases, water vapour and subatomic particles
that entirely covers the earth extending outward several thousand kilometers.
2. Structure of atmosphere
Troposphere: •Lower portion of the atmosphere •Extends up to 8 km at the poles
and 16 km at equator, on an average extend up to 10-11 km from the earth surface.
•Temperature decrease at the rate of 5-7oC/km. •Strong vertical air movement
responsible for rapid and complete mixing.
Stratosphere: • It is above troposphere and extends up to50-55 km. • Up to about
20 km temp. Remains constant then increase with increase in height. • Ozone layer
is in this layer.
Mesosphere: • It is layer above stratosphere and extends up to 80 km. •
Temperature decreases slowly with altitude but then sharply to about -75oC.
Thermosphere: • Temperature increases rapidly with increase in height. • Heating of
this layer is due to absorption of the solar energy. • Within the thermosphere there
is a layer of charged particles known as ionosphere.
Exosphere: • It exist above the ionosphere and extend up to 2000 km above the
earth. • This layer is almost airless and empty. • Contains hydrogen gas in ionized
state. • Very high temperature (≥ 1200oC)
3. Hydrosphere: • About 70% of earth is covered by water. • Water is available in seas,
oceans, lakes, river, glaciers etc. • 97% is in the oceans and seas, 2% in glaciers & ice
caps, 1% is fresh water available for human consumption.
4. Lithosphere: • Outer soil crust of the earth is lithosphere • Living organisms, plant
vegetation are supported by the lithosphere. • It contains resources like minerals,
organic and inorganic matter, some extent air and water. • Role of lithosphere: -
Produces food for human beings and animals. - Soil is the site of decomposition of
organic wastes.
5. Biosphere: • Thin outer crust of the earth which includes all the living organisms and
their environment. • It extends from the lowest sea bed level to about 24 km of the
atmosphere. • Life supporting resources are available from the biosphere. • It is that
part of earth where living(biotic) organism exist and interact with each other and
also with non-living (abiotic) components.
6. Activities in biosphere……. • The living organisms interacting with each other in
biosphere and sustain their life. • The waste products in gaseous, liquid and solid
form are discharged in biosphere. • The sustaining and assimilative capacity of the
biosphere is tremendous but not infinite. • The system is in operation for millions of
years but now showing stress due to impact of human on environment.
Scope of Environmental Studies

 Natural resources- their conservation and management • Ecology and biodiversity •

Environmental pollution and control • Social issues in relation to development and
environment • Human population and environment
 Importance of Environmental Education in present day education system:
Environmental Education is recognized as the process that would help individuals to
acquire essential knowledge and skills to take positive action towards a batter
environment.
 Objectives of Environmental Education
 1. An AWARENESS of the environment and its problems.
2. Basic KNOWLEDGE and understanding of the environment and its inter-relationship with
man.
3. Social VALUES and ATTITUDES which are in harmony with environmental quality.
4. SKILLS to solve environmental problems.
5. Sense of responsibility and urgency towards environment so as to ensure appropriate
ACTIONS to solve environmental problems.
6. Consider environment in its totality.

What is Sustainable Development?

 Sustainable development is the organizing principle for meeting human development

goals while simultaneously sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the
natural resources and ecosystem services upon which the economy and society depend.
 The desired result is a state of society where living conditions and resources are used to
continue to meet human needs without undermining the integrity and stability of the
natural system. Sustainable development can be defined as development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations.
What is an Ecosystem?

 A group of organisms interacting among themselves and with environment is known as

ecosystem. Thus an ecosystem is a community of different species interacting with one
another and with their non-living environment and one another and with their non-
living environment exchanging energy and matter. Example Animals cannot synthesis
their food directly but depend on the plants either directly or indirectly.
 Types of Ecosystem-
1. Natural ecosystem- it operate themselves under natural conditions. Based on
habitat types, it can be further classified into three types. 1. Terrestrial
ecosystem. This ecosystem is related to land. Example Grassland ecosystem,
forest ecosystem, desert ecosystem, etc.
2. Aquatic ecosystem This ecosystem is related to water. It is further sub classified
into two types based on salt content. •Fresh water ecosystem (i)Running water
ecosystems. Examples Rivers, Streams (b) Standing water ecosystems Examples
Pond, lake (ii) Marine ecosystem Example : Seas and sea shores
3. Man – made (or) Artificial ecosystems Artificial ecosystem is operated (or)
maintained by man himself. Example Croplands, gardens.
What is food chain?

 A food chain is the path by which energy passes from one living thing to another.
 It is divided into 3 parts: Producers, Consumers and Decomposers.
 Producers: Producers make their own food. Green plants use energy from the sun to
make food. Producers are on the bottom of the food chain
 Consumers: Consumers hunt, gather, and store food because they cannot make their
own.
 Three Types of Consumers: Herbivores, Carnivores and Omnivores.
 Herbivores are the animals who eat plants such as: –grasshoppers –rabbits –squirrels –
deer –pandas
 Carnivores are the animals who only eat other animals such as: –tigers –lions –hawks –
wolves –cougars
 Omnivores are the animals who eat both plants and animals such as: –humans –bears
 Decomposers: Decomposers are the Microorganisms that are able to break down large
molecules into smaller parts. Decomposers return the nutrients that are in a living thing
to the soil
 A food chain is a simplified way to look at the energy that passes from producers to
consumers.