MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENT

UNIT I:
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
NATURE OF
ENVIRONMENT
Mrs. Nisha Marcel
Assistant Professor
Dept. Of Pharmaceutics
SJIPR

Content
1. The Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies
2. Natural Resources
3. Renewable and non-renewable resources
4. Natural resources and associated problems
5. Resources:
a) Forest resources
b) Water resources
c) Mineral resources
d) Food resources
e) Energy resources
f) Land resources: Role of an individual in conservation of natural resources.
Mrs. Nisha Marcel EVS
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Environment
• Environment is ‘a word which describes, in the aggregate, all of the extrinsic
(external) forces influences and conditions, which affect the life, nature,
behaviour and the growth, development and maturation of living organisms’.
• ‘Environment covers all the outside factors that have acted on the individual
since he began life’.
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• Environment is the aggregate of physical, chemical, biological and
social components on Earth which are capable of causing direct or
indirect effects in the short or long term on living and non-living things
and their interactions and activities.
• Based on this environment is defined as the sum of total of water, air
and land ant the inter-relationship that exist among them and with the
human beings, other living organisms and materials.
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Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies
• The study of environmental components is multi disciplinary in nature.
Since it includes all disciplinary such as science, humanities, commerce,
meteorology, climatology, geography and other disciplines.
• Environmental studies is a multi disciplinary programme created to
promote the study of our natural surrounding.
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• Life sciences including botany, zoology, microbiology, genetics,
biochemistry, biotechnology help in understanding the biotic
components and their interactions.
• The physical and chemical structure of the biotic components and
energy transfer and flow are understood with the help of basic concept
of physics, chemistry, atmospheric science and oceanography.
• Mathematics, statics and computer science serve as effective tools in
environmental modelling and management.
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• Economics, sociology and mass communication provides the input for
dealing with socio economic aspects associated with various
developmental activities.
• A synthesis with environmental engineering, civil engineering and
chemical engineering form the basis for various technologies dealing
with the control of environmental pollution, waste treatment and
development of cleaner technologies that are important for protection of
environment.
• Environmental laws provide the tools for effective management and
protection of the environment.
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Objectives of environmental studies
• Creating the awareness about environmental problems in the students.
• Giving basic knowledge about the environment and its related problems to the
students.
• Developing an attitude of concern for the environment amongst the students.
• Motivating students to participate in environment protection and environment
improvement.
• Acquiring skills to help the concerned individuals in identifying and solving
environmental problems.
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Scope of the environmental studies
• Scope of the environmental studies is broad based and it encompasses
a large no of areas and aspects broadly listed below:
1. Natural resources–their conservation and management
2. Ecology and biodiversity
3. Environmental pollution and control
4. Social issues in relation to development and environment
5. Human population and environment
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• Natural resources-conservation:- Natural aspects such as forests
contribute towards maintaining a balance in the environment, managing
and maintaining of forests and wild life is an important task under natural
resources conservation.
• Ecosystem structure and function:- The study of the ecosystem mainly
consists of the study of the processes that link with the biotic
components to the non living (or) abiotic components.
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• Environmental pollution and control:- With the knowledge of the
environmental science one can look for methods to control pollution and
manage waste effectively.
• Environmental management:- There are several independent
environmental consultants working with the central and state pollution
control boards. These consultants offer advice related to environment
problems and their solutions. The consultants involved in policy making,
pollution control and maintenance of ecological balance
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• Research and development:- With increase in public awareness,
regarding environment issues, there is tremendous scope for research
and development in this field. They conduct research studies in order to
develop theories of monitoring and controlling environment.
• Environmental journalism:- There is an increasing demand for people
who can report on environment issues to generate awareness among
people. Environmental journalism is an emerging field which helps in
bringing environmental problems to public notice.
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• Industry:- Environmental scientists work towards maintaining ecological
balance, conservation of bio diversity and preserve the natural
resources. Rapid industrialization is increasingly degrading the
environment to minimize this, there is a growing trend towards
manufacturing of “green” goods and products.
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Need for public awareness
• Environmental pollution is effecting on plant, animals and human life. The soil,
minerals, water, fuel, plants and animal resources are being depleted and
climatic changes, desertification and floods are becoming drastic.
• More over, the human population is growing faster than ever and creating more
pressure on the environment.
• More of the environmental problems are global in nature therefore every citizen
of the world needs to be aware and actively participate in protecting in
protecting global environment for participation, public awareness is essential.
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Objectives of public awareness
• It can be introduced as a course in school and colleges. It is the most
successful method of propagating environmental awareness.
• This course spread awareness regarding the protection of the
environment.
• A government at its own level cant achieve the goals of sustainable
development until the public has a participatory role in it.
• The public has to be educated about the fact that if we degrading our
environment we are actually harming our own selves.
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Through mass media
• Mass media as news papers, magazines, radios, t v etc., can play an important
role in educating the masses regarding environmental problems and issues.
• Through organizing seminars and conferences, organizing meeting seminars,
and conferences at various levels help in spreading environmental information
to general public.
• Awareness can also be spread by organizing various competitions on
environmental problems, non conventional energy sources etc., such
competitions may also help in disseminating information regarding various
environmental issues.
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Entertainment
• Environmental awareness can also be propagating through folk songs,
street plays, documentaries etc.
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Importance of environmental studies
1) Environmental studies helps maintain ecological balance by providing
a basic operating knowledge of environmental system and processes.
2) It gives information regarding the changes that takes place due to
anthropogenic factors and helps gain skills of analysing various
environmental system and the effect of human activities on them.
3) Environmental studies help to achieve sustainable development and
understand the relationship between development and the
environment.
4) This discipline helps to educate people regarding their duties towards
environmental protection.
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5) Environment is one subject that is actually global in nature.
6) Environmental study deals with the analysis of the processes in water,
air, land, soil, and organism which leads to pollution (or) environment
degradation.
7) It also deals with the most important issues like safe and clean drinking
water, hygienic living conditions, clean and fresh air, healthy food for man
and for development.
8) The discipline provides us with basic knowledge of the environment
and various environmental issues. It examines the scientific basic for
environmental and social concerns about our present energy needs,
global climate changes, toxic emission and waste disposal.
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9) It also provide knowledge about the development and utilisation of energy
resources and the role of public policy there in.
10) Environmental law, business administration and environmental engineering are
emerging as new career opportunities for environment protection and management.
11) Environmental studies also aims to protect bio diversity growth in human
population and the resulting increase in material consumption and technological
development have increased the rate and scale of degradation of the environment.
12) The concepts from environmental studies can be applied to the study of
agriculture and the design of sustainable production system.
13) With the pollution control laws becoming more strengthen, are finding it difficult to
dispose off the produced wastes.
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Outcomes of environmental studies
• Illustrate Depleting Nature of Environmental Resources, Global
Environmental Crisis and the concept of Ecosystem.
• Adapt to the concept of 3R (Reuse, Recovery, Recycle).
• Suggest different control measures related to Environmental Pollution.
• Illustrate and analyse various Case Studies related to Environmental
Legislation.
• Demonstrate the working of Renewable Energy sources.
• Illustrate the Techniques of Disaster Management and Green Building
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NATURAL RESOURCES
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INTRODUCTION
A RESOURCE is defined as anything physical or virtual entity of limited
availability, that might be consumed in order to get benefits from it.The term
resource is derived from two words “re” means again and “source” means the
place from where something comes again and again.The sum total of physical,
chemical, biological and social factors which compose the surroundings of a
man is referred to as environment and each element of these surroundings
constitute a resource. Any stock or reserve that can be drawn from nature is
natural resource.
E.g. soil, water, air, coal, forest, crops, wildlife, etc.
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Types of natural resources
1. On basis of origin
a. Biotic resources – Wildlife, Fossil fuels like coal, petroleum etc.
b. Abiotic resources – Gold, iron, copper, silver, etc.
2. On the basis of abundance and availability
a. Exhaustible resources – Coal, petroleum, mineral rocks etc.
b. Inexhaustible resources – solar energy, atomic energy, wind energy, tidal
energy etc.
3. On the basis of renewability
a. Renewable resources – sunlight, air, wildlife etc
b. Non-renewable resources – fossil fuels, uranium
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4. On the basis of recyclability
a. Recyclable resources – ore of aluminium, copper, minerals used in natural
form
b. Non-recyclable resources – fossil fuels and uranium
5. On the basis of stage of development
a. Potential resources – petroleum, sedimentary rocks etc.
b. Actual resources – wood, petroleum being used etc.
c. Reserve resources – it’s a part of actual resource developed profitably in
future.
d. Stock resources – hydrogen
6. On the basis of distribution
a. National resources - minerals and land
b. Multi national resources – rivers, certain lakes and migratory animals.
c. International resources – air, solar energy
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Some important natural resources
• Land resources
• Water resources
• Air resources
• Forest resources
• Wildlife resources
• Mineral resources
• Energy resources
• Microbial resources
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Why ??
• The study of natural resources have been an inseperable part of acquiring
knowledge, ever since man started acquiring resources. It is widely studied
field with no boundaries of time and space. It can be ytreated to have run
parallel to course of human development as well as parallel to the course of
evolution of science itself.
• The conservation of natural resources are also very essential , as most of the
natural resources are exhaustible and non – renewable in nature. For this the
best way , which can be adopted to be is sustainable development , because
future generation also want to enjoy and use natural resources.
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Information about different natural resources
What are Renewable Resources?
Renewable Resources can be replaced by nature at a rate close to the
rate at which they are used.
What are Non-renewable Resources?
Resources that exist in a fixed amount, Non-renewable are renewed very
slowly or not at all.
What is an Ore Mineral?
The metallic element or valuable mineral part of the rock is known as the
Ore Mineral. The remaining part of the rock is called the Gangue
What is a Mineral Reserve?
The known deposits of a mineral in ores that are worth mining
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Environmental Cost v/s Economic Benefit
Modern living standards are supported by extensive use of both
renewable and non-renewable resources.
There are advantages + and disadvantages - to using any energy source.
Extraction and use of any resource carries an environmental cost that
must be weighed against the economic benefit.
How does the way in which some resources are extracted and used
affect the Earth’s environment?
Can lead to pollution of land, water, and air.
May contribute to global warming.
Destruction of landscape may occur
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Energy Resources Poster Board
∞Assignment:
Create a poster displaying your knowledge of renewable and non
renewable energy resources include the advantages and disadvantages
of each resources.
1. Can be made on a paper or on a ppt slide or in image by using laptop
or mobile.
2. Online applications can also be used e.g. Canva, picsart
3. Should be uploaded in the classroom assignment section.
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Renewable and Non-Renewable resources
34 Mrs. Nisha Marcel EVS

Renewable resources
• Renewable energy comes from sources that will not be used up in our lifetimes, such
as the sun and wind.
• Geothermal power is a form of renewable energy created by powering electrical
generators with the heat of the earth and naturally occurring subterranean hot water
reservoirs.
• The wind, the sun, and Earth are sources of renewable energy. These energy sources
naturally renew, or replenish themselves.
• Wind, sunlight, and the planet have energy that transforms in ways we can see and
feel. We can see and feel evidence of the transfer of energy from the sun to Earth in
the sunlight shining on the ground and the warmth we feel when sunlight shines on
our skin. We can see and feel evidence of the transfer of energy in wind’s ability to pull
kites higher into the sky and shake the leaves on trees. We can see and feel evidence
of the transfer of energy in the geothermal energy of steam vents and geysers.
• People have created different ways to capture the energy from these renewable
sources.
Ref:

Solar Energy
Solar energy can be captured “actively” or “passively.”
• Active solar energy uses special
technology to capture the sun’s rays.
The two main types of equipment
are photovoltaic cells (also called PV
cells or solar cells) and mirrors that
focus sunlight in a specific spot.
These active solar technologies use
sunlight to generate electricity,
which we use to power lights,
heating systems, computers, and
televisions.
• Passive solar energy does not use
any equipment. Instead, it gets
energy from the way sunlight
naturally changes throughout the
day. For example, people can build
houses so their windows face the
path of the sun. This means the
house will get more heat from the
sun. It will take less energy from
other sources to heat the house.
Ref:

• Advantages and Disadvantages
• There are many advantages to using solar energy. PV cells last for a long time,
about 20 years.
• However, there are reasons why solar power cannot be used as the only power
source in a community. It can be expensive to install PV cells or build a building
using passive solar technology.
• Sunshine can also be hard to predict. It can be blocked by clouds, and the sun
doesn’t shine at night. Different parts of Earth receive different amounts of
sunlight based on location, the time of year, and the time of day.
Ref:

Wind Energy
• People have been harnessing the wind’s energy for a long, long time. Five-
thousand years ago, ancient Egyptians made boats powered by the wind. In
200 B.C.E., people used windmills to grind grain in the Middle East and pump
water in China.
• Today, we capture the wind’s energy with wind turbines. A turbine is similar to
a windmill; it has a very tall tower with two or three propeller-like blades at the
top. These blades are turned by the wind. The blades turn a generator (located
inside the tower), which creates electricity.
• Groups of wind turbines are known as wind farms. Wind farms can be found
near farmland, in narrow mountain passes, and even in the ocean, where there
are steadier and stronger winds. Wind turbines anchored in the ocean are
called “offshore wind farms.”
• Wind farms create electricity for nearby homes, schools, and other buildings.
Ref:

• Wind energy can be very efficient. In places like the Midwest in the United
States and along coasts, steady winds can provide cheap, reliable electricity.
• Another great advantage of wind power is that it is a “clean” form of energy.
Wind turbines do not burn fuel or emit any pollutants into the air.
• Wind is not always a steady source of energy, however. Wind speed changes
constantly, depending on the time of day, weather, and geographic location.
Currently, it cannot be used to provide electricity for all our power needs.
• Wind turbines can also be dangerous for bats and birds. These animals cannot
always judge how fast the blades are moving and crash into them.
Ref:

Geothermal Energy
• Deep beneath the surface is Earth’s core. The centre of Earth is extremely hot—thought to be over
6,000 °C (about 10,800 °F). The heat is constantly moving toward the surface.
• We can see some of Earth’s heat when it bubbles to the surface. Geothermal energy can melt
underground rocks into magma and cause the magma to bubble to the surface as lava. Geothermal
energy can also heat underground sources of water and force it to spew out from the surface. This
stream of water is called a geyser.
• However, most of Earth’s heat stays underground and makes its way out very, very slowly.
• We can access underground geothermal heat in different ways. One way of using geothermal energy is
with “geothermal heat pumps.” A pipe of water loops between a building and holes dug deep
underground. The water is warmed by the geothermal energy underground and brings the warmth
aboveground to the building. Geothermal heat pumps can be used to heat houses, sidewalks, and
even parking lots.
• Another way to use geothermal energy is with steam. In some areas of the world, there is
underground steam that naturally rises to the surface. The steam can be piped straight to a power
plant. However, in other parts of the world, the ground is dry. Water must be injected underground to
create steam. When the steam comes to the surface, it is used to turn a generator and create
electricity.
• In Iceland, there are large reservoirs of underground water. Almost 90% of people in Iceland use
geothermal as an energy source to heat their homes and businesses.
Ref:

• An advantage of geothermal energy is that it is clean. It does not require any
fuel or emit any harmful pollutants into the air.
• Geothermal energy is only available in certain parts of the world. Another
disadvantage of using geothermal energy is that in areas of the world where
there is only dry heat underground, large quantities of freshwater are used to
make steam. There may not be a lot of freshwater. People need water for
drinking, cooking, and bathing.
Ref:

Biomass Energy
• Biomass is any material that comes from plants or microorganisms that were
recently living. Plants create energy from the sun through photosynthesis. This
energy is stored in the plants even after they die.
• Trees, branches, scraps of bark, and recycled paper are common sources
of biomass energy. Manure, garbage, and crops, such as corn, soy, and sugar
cane, can also be used as biomass feedstocks.
• We get energy from biomass by burning it. Wood chips, manure, and garbage
are dried out and compressed into squares called “briquettes.” These
briquettes are so dry that they do not absorb water. They can be stored and
burned to create heat or generate electricity.
• Biomass can also be converted into biofuel. Biofuels are mixed with
regular gasoline and can be used to power cars and trucks. Biofuels release less
harmful pollutants than pure gasoline.
Ref:

• A major advantage of biomass is that it can be stored and then used when it is
needed.
• Growing crops for biofuels, however, requires large amounts of land
and pesticides. Land could be used for food instead of biofuels. Some
pesticides could pollute the air and water.
• Biomass energy can also be a non-renewable energy source. Biomass energy
relies on biomass feedstocks—plants that are processed and burned to create
electricity. Biomass feedstocks can include crops, such as corn or soy, as well as
wood. If people do not replant biomass feedstocks as fast as they use them,
biomass energy becomes a non-renewable energy source.
Ref:

Hydroelectric Energy
• Hydroelectric energy is made by flowing water. Most hydroelectric power plants are located on large
dams, which control the flow of a river.
• Dams block the river and create an artificial lake, or reservoir. A controlled amount of water is forced
through tunnels in the dam. As water flows through the tunnels, it turns huge turbines and generates
electricity.
• Hydroelectric energy is fairly inexpensive to harness. Dams do not need to be complex, and the
resources to build them are not difficult to obtain. Rivers flow all over the world, so the energy source
is available to millions of people.
• Hydroelectric energy is also fairly reliable. Engineers control the flow of water through the dam, so the
flow does not depend on the weather (the way solar and wind energies do).
• However, hydroelectric power plants are damaging to the environment. When a river is dammed, it
creates a large lake behind the dam. This lake (sometimes called a reservoir) drowns the original river
habitat deep underwater. Sometimes, people build dams that can drown entire towns underwater.
The people who live in the town or village must move to a new area.
• Hydroelectric power plants don’t work for a very long time: Some can only supply power for 20 or 30
years. Silt, or dirt from a riverbed, builds up behind the dam and slows the flow of water.
Ref:

Other Renewable Energy Sources
• Scientists and engineers are constantly working to harness other renewable energy
sources. Three of the most promising are tidal energy, wave energy, and algal (or algae)
fuel.
• Tidal energy harnesses the power of ocean tides to generate electricity. Some tidal
energy projects use the moving tides to turn the blades of a turbine. Other projects
use small dams to continually fill reservoirs at high tide and slowly release the water
(and turn turbines) at low tide.
• Wave energy harnesses waves from the ocean, lakes, or rivers. Some wave energy
projects use the same equipment that tidal energy projects do—dams and standing
turbines. Other wave energy projects float directly on waves. The water’s constant
movement over and through these floating pieces of equipment turns turbines and
creates electricity.
• Algal fuel is a type of biomass energy that uses the unique chemicals in seaweed to
create a clean and renewable biofuel. Algal fuel does not need the acres of cropland
that other biofuel feedstocks do.
Ref:

Non-renewable energy
• Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will eventually run out, such
as oil and coal.
• Peacock Coal: Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will run out or
will not be replenished for thousands or even millions of years. Most sources
of non-renewable energy are fossil fuels. Fossil fuels were created as the
remains of marine creatures decayed millions of years ago, under huge
amounts of pressure and heat. Most fossil fuels are burned to create energy
and electricity. Coal, above, is a type of rock that is a fossil fuel.
Ref:

• Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will run out or will not
be replenished in our lifetimes—or even in many, many lifetimes.
• Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and
natural gas. Carbon is the main element in fossil fuels. For this reason, the time
period that fossil fuels formed (about 360-300 million years ago) is called the
Carboniferous Period.
• All fossil fuels formed in a similar way. Hundreds of millions of years ago, even
before the dinosaurs, Earth had a different landscape. It was covered with
wide, shallow seas and swampy forests.
• Plants, algae, and plankton grew in these ancient wetlands. They absorbed
sunlight and created energy through photosynthesis. When they died, the
organisms drifted to the bottom of the sea or lake. There was energy stored in
the plants and animals when they died.
• Over time, the dead plants were crushed under the seabed. Rocks and
other sediment piled on top of them, creating high heat and pressure
underground. In this environment, the plant and animal remains eventually
turned into fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum). Today, there are huge
underground pockets (called reservoirs) of these non-renewable sources of
energy all over the world.
Ref:

• Fossil fuels are a valuable source of energy. They are relatively inexpensive
to extract. They can also be stored, piped, or shipped anywhere in the world.
• However, burning fossil fuels is harmful for the environment. When coal and oil
are burned, they release particles that can pollute the air, water, and land.
Some of these particles are caught and set aside, but many of them are
released into the air.
• Burning fossil fuels also upsets Earth’s “carbon budget,” which balances the
carbon in the ocean, earth, and air. When fossil fuels are combusted (heated),
they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a gas that
keeps heat in Earth’s atmosphere, a process called the “greenhouse effect.”
The greenhouse effect is necessary to life on Earth, but relies on a balanced
carbon budget.
• The carbon in fossil fuels has been sequestered, or stored, underground for
millions of years. By removing this sequestered carbon from the earth and
releasing it into the atmosphere, Earth’s carbon budget is out of balance. This
contributes to temperatures rising faster than organisms can adapt.
Ref:

Coal
• Coal is a black or brownish rock. We burn coal to create energy. Coal is ranked
depending on how much “carbonization” it has gone through. Carbonization is the
process that ancient organisms undergo to become coal. About 3 meters (10 feet) of
solid vegetation crushed together into .3 meter (1 foot) of coal!
• Peat is the lowest rank of coal. It has gone through the least amount of carbonization.
It is an important fuel in areas of the world including Scotland, Ireland, and Finland.
• Anthracite is the highest rank of coal. Anthracite forms in regions of the world where
there have been giant movements of the earth, such as the formation of mountain
ranges. The Appalachian Mountains, in the eastern part of the United States, are rich
in anthracite.
• We mine coal out of the ground so we can burn it for energy. There are two ways that
we can mine coal: underground mining and surface mining.
• Underground mining is used when the coal is located below the surface of the Earth,
sometimes 300 meters (1,000 feet) deep—that’s deeper than most of the Great Lakes!
Miners take an elevator down a mineshaft. They operate heavy machinery that cuts
the coal out of the Earth and brings it above ground. This can be dangerous work
because cutting coal can release dangerous gases. The gases can cause explosions or
make it hard for miners to breathe.
Ref:

• Surface mining is used when the coal is located very near the surface of the earth. To
get to the coal, companies must first clear the area. They take away the trees and soil.
The coal can then be cut out of the ground more easily. Entire habitats are destroyed
during this process.
• About half the electricity in the United States comes from coal. It gives power to our
lights, refrigerators, dishwashers, and most other things we plug in. When coal is
burned, it leaves “byproducts” that are also valuable. We use the byproducts to make
cement, plastics, roads, and many other things.
• Coal is a reliable source of energy. We can rely on it day and night, summer and winter,
sunshine or rain, to provide fuel and electricity.
• Using coal is also harmful. Mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Coal
miners are exposed to toxic dust and face the dangers of cave-ins and explosions at
work.
• When coal is burned, it releases many toxic gases and pollutants into the atmosphere.
Mining for coal can also cause the ground to cave in and create underground fires that
burn for decades at a time.
Ref:

Petroleum
• Petroleum is a liquid fossil fuel. It is also called oil or crude oil.
• Petroleum is trapped by underground rock formations. In some places, oil bubbles
right out of the ground.
• Most of the world’s oil is still deep under the ground. We drill through the earth to
access the oil. Some deposits are on land, and others are under the ocean floor.
• Once oil companies begin drilling with a “drill rig,” they can extract petroleum 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Many successful oil sites produce oil for
about 30 years. Sometimes they can produce oil for much longer.
• When oil is under the ocean floor, companies drill offshore. They must build an oil
platform. Oil platforms are some of the biggest manmade structures in the world!
• Once the oil has been drilled, it must be refined. Oil contains many chemicals besides
carbon, and refining the oil takes some of these chemicals out.
• We use oil for many things. About half of the world’s petroleum is converted
into gasoline. The rest can be processed and used in liquid products such as nail polish
and rubbing alcohol, or solid products such as water pipes, shoes, crayons, roofing,
vitamin capsules, and thousands of other items.
Ref:

• There are advantages to drilling for oil. It is relatively inexpensive to extract. It
is also a reliable and dependable source of energy and money for the local
community.
• Oil provides us with thousands of conveniences. In the form of gasoline, it is a
portable source of energy that gives us the power to drive places. Petroleum is
also an ingredient in many items that we depend on.
• However, burning gasoline is harmful to the environment. It releases hazardous
gases and fumes into the air that we breathe. There is also the possibility of an
oil spill. If there is a problem with the drilling machinery, the oil can explode
out of the well and spill into the ocean or surrounding land. Oil spills are
environmental disasters, especially offshore spills. Oil floats on water, so it can
look like food to fish and ruin birds’ feathers.
Ref:

Natural Gas
• Natural gas is another fossil fuel that is trapped underground in reservoirs. It is mostly made up
of methane. You may have smelled methane before. The decomposing material in landfills also release
methane, which smells like rotten eggs.
• There is so much natural gas underground that it is measured in million, billion, or trillion cubic
meters.
• Natural gas is found in deposits a few hundred meters underground. In order to get natural gas out of
the ground, companies drill straight down. However, natural gas does not form in big open pockets.
Natural gas is trapped in rock formations that can stretch for kilometers.
• To reach natural gas, some companies use a process called “hydraulic fracturing,”
or fracking. Hydraulic means they use water, and fracturing means to “split apart.” The process uses
high-pressure water to split apart the rocks underground. This releases the natural gas that is trapped
in rock formations. If the rock is too hard, they can send acid down the well to dissolve the rock. They
can also use tiny grains of glass or sand to prop open the rock and let the gas escape.
• We use natural gas for heating and cooking. Natural gas can also be burned to generate electricity. We
rely on natural gas to give power to lights, televisions, air conditioners, and kitchen appliances in our
homes.
• Natural gas can also be turned into a liquid form, called liquid natural gas (LNG). LNG is much cleaner
than any other fossil fuels.
Ref:

• Liquid natural gas takes up much less space than the gaseous form. The
amount of natural gas that would fit into a big beach ball would fit into a ping-
pong ball as a liquid! LNG can be easily stored and used for different purposes.
LNG can even be a replacement for gasoline.
• Natural gas is relatively inexpensive to extract, and is a “cleaner” fossil fuel
than oil or coal. When natural gas is burned, it only releases carbon dioxide and
water vapor (which are the exact same gases that we breathe out when we
exhale!) This is healthier than burning coal.
• However, extracting natural gas can cause environmental problems. Fracturing
rocks can cause mini-earthquakes. The high-pressure water and chemicals that
are forced underground can also leak to other sources of water. The water
sources, used for drinking or bathing, can become contaminated and unsafe.
Ref:

Other Non-renewable Energy Sources
Fossil fuels are the leading non-renewable energy sources around the world. There are others, however.
Nuclear Energy
• Nuclear energy is usually considered
another non-renewable energy source.
Although nuclear energy itself is a
renewable energy source, the material
used in nuclear power plants is not.
• Nuclear energy harvests the powerful
energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom.
Nuclear energy is released through nuclear
fission, the process where the nucleus of
an atom splits. Nuclear power plants are
complex machines that can control nuclear
fission to produce electricity.
• The material most often used in nuclear
power plants is the element uranium.
Although uranium is found in rocks all over
the world, nuclear power plants usually
use a very rare type of uranium, U-235.
Uranium is a non-renewable resource.
Biomass Energy
• Biomass energy, a renewable
energy source, can also be a non-
renewable energy source. Biomass energy
uses the energy found in plants.
• Biomass energy relies on biomass
feedstocks—plants that are processed and
burned to create electricity. Biomass
feedstocks can include crops such as corn
or soy, as well as wood. If people do not
replant biomass feedstocks as fast as they
use them, biomass energy becomes a non-
renewable energy source.
Ref:

Natural resources associated problems

Associated problems renewable resources
• Global livestock and fisheries resources can also not be expanded
beyond certain limits.
• Only up to a limited extent resources of biosphere can be safely
exploited.
• Though an enormous quantity of water is present, for fresh water life
depends largely on precipitation, which to is available only in a finite
quantity.
• Its uneven distribution over earths surface has caused large area to
become infertile deserts

Associated problems Non-renewable resources
• Overexploitation shall exhaust many of our valuable deposits which took
millions of years to form.
• They can not be duplicated within human scale of time.
• They require time on geological scale to form.
• With the sophisticated technology, we may recover these materials from
the highly dispersed state. But the cause shall be enormous & the effort
could be economically non-viable.

Based on ownership
Individual resources
Resources that are owned
privately by individuals e.g. land
owned by farmers
Community
resources
Resources accessible to all the
members of a community e.g.
public parks, picnic spots
National &
International
resources
Those are the resources which
belong to nation or government
e.g. mountains, wildlife, forests
These are the resources which are
under control of international
organization e.g. open ocean

FOREST RESOURCES

Introduction
• Forest resources play an important role in the economy of any country.
• It is highly complex, changing environment made up of a living and non
living things.
• Living things include trees, shrubs, wildlife etc. and non-living things
include water, nutrients, rocks, sunlight and air.
• Forest vary a great deal in composition and density and are distinct from
meadows and pastures.
• Forest are important to humans and the natural world. For humans, they
have many aesthetics, recreational, economic, historical, cultural and
religious values.
• Forest provide fuel, wood, timber, wildlife, habitat, industrial, forest
products, climate regulations, medicinal etc.

• The word forest is derived from a Latin word.
• “ Foris” means Outside
• Forest are one of the most important natural resources of the earth.
• Approximately 1/3rd of the earth’s total area is covered by forests

Indian scenario
• In India forest cover Overall, 21.02% of the country's geographical area
is now under green cover (as per 2009* data) The total forest cover in
India is 6,90,899 km2
• Forest cover in India is defined as all lands, more than one hectare in
area with a tree canopy density of more than 10%.

Functions of forest
The functions of forest may broadly classified into following categories
• Protective Function
• Productive Function
• Regulative Function
• Accessory Function

Protective Functions
• Forest Provide protection against
1. Soil erosion
2. Droughts
3. Floods
4. Noise
5. Radiations

Productive Functions
• Forest Provide various products like
1. Gum resins
2. Medicines
3. Honey
4. Pulp
5. Bamboo
6. Timber
7. Fruits

Regulative Functions
• The Forest regulates the level of Oxygen and carbon dioxide in atmosphere.
The forests also help in regulating temperature conditions.
Accessory Function
• Forest provides aesthetics, habitat to various flora and fauna besides that it
also has an recreational value.

Ecological Importance or uses of Forests
• Regulation of global climate and temperature
• Forest play a crucial role in regulation of global climate and temperature as
forest cover absorb the solar radiations that would otherwise be reflected
back into the atmosphere by bare surface of the earth.
• Transpiration of plants increases the atmosphere humidity which affects the
rainfall, cools the atmosphere and thus regulate the hydrological cycle

Reduction of GlobalWarming
• The main green house gas CO2 is used by forests for photosynthesis process
the forest act as a sink for CO2 there by reducing the green house effect due
to CO2.

Production of Oxygen
• During Photosynthesis process forest releases oxygen a very important gas
for human survival thereby are called as lungs of earth.

Conservation of Soil
• They prevent soil erosion by binding the soil particles tightly in their roots.
They also reduce the velocity of wind and rain which are chief agents causing
erosion.

Improvement in fertility of Soil
• The fertility of soil increases due to humus formed by the decay of forest litter.

Control of water flow
• The forest act as a giant sponge they slow down runoff, absorbing and holding
water that recharges springs, streams, and ground water.

Habitat to wild life
• They provide the habitat for high wild life species.

Absorption of Noise
• Forest cover absorbs the noise and helps in preventing noise pollution

Absorption of air pollutants
• Forest absorbs many toxic gasses and air pollutants and can help in keeping
air pure.

Economical Importance of Forest
• Timber:Wood used for commercial purposes like for making furniture and
other items like boats, bridges and other day to day uses.
• FuelWood:The wood is used as fuel for cooking and other purposes by poor
people.
• Raw material for wood based industries: forest provide raw material for
various wood based industries like paper and pulp, sports goods, furniture,
match boxes etc.

• Food: Fruits, roots, leaves of plants and trees along with the meat of forest
animals provide the food to the tribal people.
• Miscellaneous Products: Miscellaneous products like, resin, gums, oils,
medicines, Katha, honey are provided by forests.

Types of Forests in India
a) Moist Tropical Forest
b) Dry Tropical forests
c) Montana Sub tropical Forests
d) Montana Temperate Forests
e) Sub Alpine Forests

MoistTropical Forest
a) Tropical wet evergreen: Western Ghats (Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Kerala)
b) Tropical semi evergreen: Lower hills of western Ghats.
c) Tropical moist deciduous: Dehradun, Mahabaleshwar
d) Damp Forests: Sunder bans, Bengal delta, and Andaman

DryTropical forests
a) Tropical dry deciduous: Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh
b) Tropical thorn forest: Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat
c) Tropical dry evergreen: Eastern Ghat ( Andhra Pradesh,Tamil Nadu)

Montana Sub tropical Forests
• Coniferous Forests
a) Subtropical broad: Shillong, Nilgiris
b) Subtropical pine forest: Arunachal Pradesh, Kashmir
c) SubTropical dry evergreen: Foot Hills of Himalayas.

MontaneTemperate Forests
a) MontaneWet temperate: Nilgiri, Palmi Hills
b) Himalayan wet temperate: Assam, Himachal Pradesh
c) Himalayan dry temperate: Kashmir

Sub Alpine Forests
a) Moist alpine scrub - high Himalayas
b) Dry alpine scrub: Sikkim

• Among the 16 different forest types of the country, the most common is
1. Tropical dry deciduous (38.7%)
2. Tropical moist deciduous (30.9%)
3. Tropical thorn (6.9 %)
• These 3 types of tropical deciduous forests accounts for more than 76.5 % of
forest area in India. Nearly 96 % of forests are owned by government and, 2.6
% by corporate bodies and rest are in private ownership.

Deforestation
• Forest are exploited since early times for humans to meet human demand
• The permanent destruction of forest is called deforestation

Causes of Deforestation
• Population explosion: Population explosion is the root cause of all the
environmental problems, vast area of forests are cleared for human
settlement
• Shifting Cultivation: It is a traditional agroforestry system widely practiced in
north eastern region of country in which felling and burning of forests
followed by cultivation of crop for few years and abandon of cultivation allow
forests for re-growth cause extreme damage to forest.

• Growing food demand:To meet the food demand of rapidly growing
population more and more forests are cleared off for agricultural purpose.
• Fire wood: Increasing demand of wood for fuel increases pressure on forests.
• Raw material for wood based industry: Increasing demand of wood for making
furniture, plywood, match box etc results into tremendous pressure on
forests.

Infrastructure development
• Massive destruction of forest occurs for various infrastructure development
like, big dams, highways projects etc.
• Forest fires: Forest fires may be natural or man made cause a huge loss of
forest
• Over grazing: Overgrazing of land by cattle result into soil erosion,
desertification.
• Natural forces: Floods, storms, heavy winds, snow, lightening are some of the
natural forces

Effects of Deforestation
• Deforestation adversely affects and damages the environment
• The adverse effect of deforestation are discussed below:
1. Soil erosion:The soil gets washed away with rain water on sloppy areas in
the absence of trees leading to soil erosion.
2. Expansion of deserts: Due to strong winds laden by rock dust, land mass
gradually gets converted in atmosphere.

• Decrease in rainfall : In the absence of forest, rainfall declines considerably
because forest bring rains due to high rate of transpiration. It maintains
humidity in atmosphere.
• Loss of fertile land: Less rainfall results into loss of fertile land owing to less
natural vegetation growth.
• Effect on climate: Deforestation induces global climate change. Climate
becomes warmer due to lack of humidity in deforested areas, also pattern of
rainfall changes

• Lowering ofWater table: Lack of recharging of underground reservoir, results
into lowering of water table
• Economic Losses: Deforestation will cause loss of industrial timber and non
timber products
• Loss of biodiversity: Loss of flora and fauna result into loss of bio-diversity
leading to disturbance in ecological balance world wide.
• Environmental changes: It will lead to increase in carbon dioxide
concentration and other pollutants which results in Global warming.

Afforestation
• The conservation measure against the deforestation is afforestation.The
development of forest by planting trees on waste land is called afforestation
• The main objective of afforestation
• To control the deforestation
• To prevent soil erosion
• To regulate rainfall and maintain temperature
• To control atmospheric condition by keeping it clean •To promote planned
uses of wasteland
• To Protect forest ecosystem and to get benefits of forest products.

Forest Degradation in India
• At the beginning of 20th century about 30 % of land in India was covered with
forests but by the end of 20th century the forest cover was reduced to 19.4%
• As a result of exploitation, the tropical forest cover in India, is now only
reduced to coastal western Ghats and northern India
• We have a huge population size and a very low precipitate forest area 0.075
Ha/capita as compared to 0.64 Ha/capita of world forest area
• The National forest policy has recommended 33 % forest area for plains and 67
% for hills
• The deforestation rate per unit population in India is lowest among the major
tropical countries
• For effective forest management of country we have to take the confidence of
tribal who have been living in forest.

Dams and their effects on Forest andTribal People
• When a dam is constructed across any river a huge artificial lake is developed
in the catchment area of that dam. It is also known as back waters.The
backwaters covering a large surface area. Create a lot of ill-effects on the
living environment.
• They are as follows:
• It creates the loss of forest which are submerged under the back waters of the
dam.
• It creates danger to the habitat of the wild life.The wild life are forced to
migrate.
• It also affects the land under cultivation, in the catchment area as the crops
get submerged under water.
• The roads, already in existence are put under water after the construction of
dam. So the road network is damaged.

Water resources

Water Resources
• While 67% of Earth’s surface is covered by water, only less than 2.7% of global
water is freshwater.
• Most of the freshwater (2.05%) are locked in ice caps and glaciers. Only less
than 0.7% is available for human use.

Overutilization and pollution of surface and ground
water
• With the growth of human population there is an increasing need for larger
amounts of water to fulfil a variety of basic needs.Today in many areas this
requirement cannot be met.
• Overutilization of water occurs at various levels. Most people use more water
than really needed. Most of us waste water during a bath by using shower or
during washing of clothes. Many agriculturists use more water than necessary
to grow crops.There are many ways in which farmers can use less water
without reducing the yields such as the use of drip irrigation systems.
• Agriculture also pollutes surface water and underground water stores by the
excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Methods such as the use
of biomass as fertilizers and non toxic pesticides such as neem products
reduces the agricultural pollution of surface and ground water.
• Industry tends to maximise short-term economic gains by not bothering
about its liquid waste and releasing it into the streams, rivers, sea.

Floods
• Floods have been a serious environmental hazards from centuries.
• Deforestation causes flood that kills people, damage crops and destroys
homes.
• Rivers changes its course during floods and tons of valuable soil is lost to the
sea.
• As the forest are degraded, rain water no longer percolates slowly into the
sub-soil but runs off down the mountainside bearing large amount of top soil.

Droughts
• In certain regions of the world the rains are unpredictable.This leads to a
periods when there is a serious scarcity of water to drink, use in farm, or
provide for urban or industrial use.
• One of the factor that worsens the effect of droughts is deforestation.
• Drought is one of the major problem in our country, due to unpredictable
climatic condition or due to the failure of one and more monsoon.

Distribution of population and water resources

Water Management
• Building several small reservoirs instead of few mega projects.
• Develop few catchment dams.
• Afforestation permits recharging of underground water.
• Treatment and recycling municipal waste water for agricultural use.
• Preventing leakages from dams and canals.
• Preventing loss in municipal pipes.
• Effective rain water harvesting in urban environments.
• Water conservation measures in agriculture such as using drip irrigation.
• Pricing the water at its real value makes people use it more responsibly and
efficiently and reduce the water wasting.

Mineral resources

Mineral Resources
• A mineral is a naturally occurring substances of definite chemical composition
and identifiable physical properties.
• Minerals are formed over a period of millions of years in the earths crust.
• Iron, aluminium, zinc, manganese and copper are the important raw materials
for the industrial use.
• Important non-metal resources includes coal, salt, clay, cement and silica.
• Stone used for building materials, such as granite, marble, limestone,
constitute another category of the minerals.
• Minerals with special properties that humans values such as diamonds,
emeralds, rubies.The luster of gold, silver, and platinum are used for the
ornaments.
• Minerals in the form of the oil, gas, and coal were formed when ancient plants
and animals were converted into underground fossil fuels.

Mining
• The extraction of the minerals and their ores from the earths interior so that
they can be used.This process is known as mining.
• Mines are of two types surface or deep or shaft mines.
• Mining is hazardous occupation, and the safety of the mine workers is an
important.
• Surface mining is less hazardous than underground mining.
• Metal mining is less hazardous than coal mining.
• Mining posses several long term occupational hazards to the miners. Dust
produced during mining operations is injurious to health and causes a lung
disease known as black lung.
• Fumes generated by incomplete dynamite explosions are extremely
poisonous.
• Radiation is hazardous in uranium mines.

Surface mining and Underground mining
• Surface mining, including strip
mining, open-pit
mining and mountaintop removal
mining, is a broad category of mining in
which soil and rock overlying the
mineral deposit (the overburden) are
removed, in contrast to underground
mining, in which the overlying rock is
left in place, and the mineral is
removed through shafts or tunnels.

Food resources

Food Resources
• Today our food comes almost entirely from agriculture, animal husbandry and
fishing.
• Although India is self-sufficient in food production, it is only because of
modern patterns of agriculture that are unsustainable and which pollutes of
environment with the excess use of fertilizers and pesticides.
• If this crops are hit by the pest , the entire crop can be devastated, leaving the
farmer no income during the year.

Major Food Resources
• Wheat
• Rice
• Maize
• Potato
• Barley
• Oats
• Pulses
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Sugarcane
• Milk
• Meat & Fish

World Food Problem
• In many developing countries where populations are expanding rapidly, the
production of food is unable to keep pace with the growing demand.
• Food production in 64 of the 105 developing countries is lagging behind the
population growth levels.These countries are unable to produce more food,
or do not have the financial means to import it.
• India is the one of the country that have been able to produce enough food by
cultivating its large proportion of land through irrigation. The Green
revolution of 60’s reduced starvation in the country.

World Food Problem Country
Country Group No. of people malnourished
World 848 million
Developed country 16 million
Developing country 832 million
India 230 million

Fisheries
• Fish is an important protein food in many part of the world.
• This includes fresh water and marine water fish.
• The supply of the food from fisheries has been increased now a days

Food security
Climate
change
Low
productivity
Rising
population
Demand for
water
Ecological
degradation
Increasing cost
of cultivation

Energy resources

Renewable Resource
• Renewable energy is energy which is
generated from natural sources i.e. sun,
wind, rain, tides and can be generated
again and again as and when required.
• They are available in plenty and by far
most the cleanest sources of energy
available on this planet.
• Solar Energy,Wind Energy, Geothermal
Energy, Biomass Energy From Plants,Tidal
Energy are the examples of Renewable
resources.

Non-Renewable Resource
• A non renewable resource is a natural
resource that cannot be re-made or re-
grown at a scale comparable to its
consumption.
• Non-renewable sources are not
environmental friendly and can have
serious effect on our health.
• They are called non-renewable because
they cannot be re-generated within a short
span of time.
• Non-renewable sources exist in the form of
fossil fuels, natural gas, oil and coal.

Land resources

Land Resources
• Land Resources includes
1. Hills
2. Valleys
3. Plains
4. River basins
5. Wetland.
• Land is a finite natural resources.

Land Resources
• Man needs land for building homes, cultivating food, developing industries for
providing goods, and for creating towns and cities.
• Thus a rational use of land needs careful planning. One can develop most of
these different types of land uses almost anywhere, but it is very important to
protect wilderness area in the form of national parks and sanctuaries.
• If land is utilized properly it can be considered as renewable resources.
• Land is also converted into a non renewable resources when highly toxic
industrial and nuclear wastes are dumped on it.

Land Degradation
• Farmland is under threat due to more and more intensive utilization. Every
year, between 5 to 7 million hectares of land world wide is added to the
existing degraded farmland.
• The use of more and more chemical fertilizers poisons to the soil so that
eventually the land becomes unproductive.
• As urban centres grow and industrial expansion occurs, the agricultural land
and forest shrinks.This is a serious loss and long term ill effect on the human
civilization.
• Soil erosion is also considered as one kind of land degradation.

Role of Individual in conservation of
natural resources

1. INDIVIDUALS ROLE IN FOREST
CONSERVATION
• The measures to conserve forests ,save trees, and planting new trees include- Not felling
the trees in forests, farms, roads or houses if they are green.
• Not uprooting the existing trees while constructing a house but planting fast growing plant
species in open area of the house.
• Planting herbs, shurbs or suitable trees in and around the house.
• Maintain lawn and garden in open place in your house, if possible.
• Participating in community plantation programmes.
• Encourage mass scale tree plantation programmes.
• Cooperate with NGOs engaged in saving trees.
• Plant trees generously in barren fields.
• Tag tree plantation with year ceremonies such as birth day, marriage anniversary etc.
• Observe July 1-7 as vanmahotsava week. Encourage ‘adopt a tree programme’ ie, ‘each
one tree one’.
• Observe March 21 as forest day.
• Discourage using paper for correspondence

2. INDIVIDUALS ROLE INWATER ECONOMY
• The measures to conserve water resources include
1. Not keeping water taps running.
2. Check water leak and repair.
3. Adopt minimum water use patterns.
4. Installing water saving toilets that use optimum water per flush.
5. Adopting rain water harvesting devices in your house to conserve water for future use.
6. Collect waste water in your home and use it for watering kitchen garden.
7. Filling water in washing machine to the level required for the cloths to be washed.
8. Watering lawn and kitchen garden plants in the evening to minimise evaporation losses
and not watering them in the mid day.
9. Save wetlands ,lakes, ponds, wells, etc.
10. Observe March 22nd as world water day.
11. Observe February 2nd as world wetland day.
12. Join youth water team or any such NGO engaged in water conservation.

3. INDIVIDUALS ROLE IN CONSERVATION OF
MINERALS
• Some of the measures to conserve minerals are
1. Minimise the use of minerals which are likely to be depleted or exhausted.
2. Minimise use of jewellery to conserve scarce minerals.
3. Recycle and reuse minerals and glasses.
4. Buy durable products that lasts long.
5. Buy efficient vehicles.
6. Repair and reuse bicycles.
7. Use recyclable utensils

4. INDIVIDUALS ROLE IN FOOD SECURITY
• Some of the measures to achieve food security are
1. Sustainable use of food and not wasting it.
2. Eating only as much as required for sustenance of life.
3. Consuming local and seasonable vegetables and so as to save energy on
their transportation, storage and preservation.
4. Buy only organically grown food.
5. Discourage packed, canned and preserved food.
6. Shift from non vegetarian to vegetarian.
7. Observe October 16 as world food day and November 21 as world fishery
day.

5.INDIVIDUALS ROLE IN ENERGY
CONSERVATION AND SAVING ENERGY
• Some of the measures are
1. Turning off lights ,fans, or other electric appliances when not in use. •
Replacing tube lights with CFLs and LED s.
2. Construct buildings in such a way that maximum amount of sunlight can be
obtained.
3. Try to dry cloths in sunlight instead of drier of washing machine.
4. Using solar cookers for cooking food.
5. Buying energy efficient appliances, always checking energy consumption
figure.
6. Minimise use of automobiles by using bicycles, public transport, carpooling
etc.

7.Trying to reside near the place of work, if possible.
8. Keeping vehicles tuned for low consumption of fuel.
9. Checking fuel consumption data while buying a new vehicle.
10. Following the advice given by petroleum conservation research association
• Wearing adequate woollen clothes during winter instead of using heat
convector
• Growing deciduous trees at proper place out side the house, they will cut off
intense heat during the summers ,cut off electricity consumption and will
provide a cool breeze.
• Observe December 14 as world energy conservation day.

6.INDIVIDUALS ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE AND SOIL PROTECTION
• Some of the measures are
1. Reducing use of chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides to check soil
pollution.
2. Using bio fertilizers.
3. Using biological control measures for pest control.
4. Avoid over irrigation without proper irrigation to prevent water logging
5. Discouraging monoculture practise in agriculture.
6. Adopting mix cropping.
7. Adopting drip irrigation to avoid washing out soil nutrients. • Observing
December 23 as world farmers day.
8. Observing June 17 as a day to combat desertification and deserts.
9. Observe November 21-27 as national land resource conservation week.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF ENVIRONMENT

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