3.1.

SOCIAL ISSUES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

From Unsustainable to Sustainable Development: Sustainable
development is defined as “meeting the needs of the present with out
compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs”.
Sustainable development aims at optimum use of resources with high degree
of reusability, minimum wastage, least generation of toxic side products and
maximum productivity. But, due to the advancement of science and
technology, population and resource depletion the present society is feeling
the pinch of unsustainable condition. It can be explained by simple diagram.

Concept of sustainable development:

1. A symbiotic relationship between the consumer ( human) and the

producer (natural system)
2. Suitability between ecology and economics

The following preconditions must be satisfied while working for the goal of
sustainable development.
1. Promoting equality
2. Improving quality of our life.
3. Sustaining our natural resources
4. Ecological harmony
5. Economic efficiency.
Sustainable development calls for policies and action that fast enduring
relationship among people and between people and the planet.. Result in
creation of Sustainable communities, states and nations. The requirements
for sustainable society are better social, economical and environmental
conditions are as follows:
Environmental
Social condition Economic condition
condition
 Human rights and health  Waste  Self reliance
 Adequate food, shelter and minimization  Ecologically
other needs  Clean air and sound and stable
 Freedom from oppression water economics
 Freedom from physical harm  Bio diversity  Equal
 Democratically based decision  Use of renewable distribution of
making resource wealth
 Environmental justice

Measures for sustainable development:

The concept of sustainable development in an area is closely linked to the
carrying capacity of ecosystem. The correlation between population, poverty
and pollution must be analyzed against the backdrop of an ecosystem’s
capacity to provide supportive capacity for development and assimilative
capacity for maintenance of acceptable quality of environment. With these
preconditions the measures for sustainable developments are as follows:

1. A carrying capacity based developmental planning process

2. A preventive environmental policy
3. Structural economic change.
4. The enlarged role of environmental management tools like
environmental impact and risk assessment (EIRA), Environmental
Audit (EA), Life cycle assessment (LCA) etc.
5. Using appropriate technologies designing with nature are more useful,
cost-effective and sustainable.
How to improve the sustainable development:
1. Economic policies one to be redefined to protect and develop farm,
sustainable agriculture and fertile soil.
2. Conserving all non-renewable sources by recycling and reuse.
3. Controlling pollution and avoiding.
4. Developing appropriate technology with minimum environmental
hazards.
 5. The stock and supply of environmental resources are to be realized and
its degradation should be avoided by educating the people.
So the government and the industry take adequate care and attention to
preserve the environmental resources with out affecting economical
development and thereby towards the sustainable development.
Developmental plans on social elements: From the view point of
sustainability the following social elements one to be considered at all stages
of preparation, implementation and monitoring of developmental plans.
1. Protection of human rights and health.
2. child mortality
3. Food security
4. Accountability and responsibility of social decision makers.
5. Sharing of vital information
6. Transparency of thought and planning processes
7. Participatory approach in decision making
8. Fair and equal access to information and knowledge.
Developmental plans on economic element:
1. Efficient use of renewable resources
2. Cost reduction through efficiency improvement
3. Opportunities for reduced energy and raw materials input.
4. Creation of value added products
5. Reducing international trade barriers.
6. Sharing of commercial information
7. Continuous improvement in economic well being.
8. Creation of new markets and opportunities for sales growth.
Developmental plans on environmental elements:
1. Renewable of natural resources and natural systems
2. Renewal of energy, material and food resources
3. Reduction of environmental foot print.
4. Sharing of vital information on global environmental changes.
5. Accountability and responsibility of environmental decision makers.
PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
Public awareness about environment is at a stage of infancy. Of late, some
awareness has taken place related to environmental degradation, pollution
etc. but incomplete knowledge and information and ignorance about many
aspects has often led to misconceptions.
Development has paved the path for rise in the levels or standards of living
but it has simultaneously led to serious environmental disasters.

Issues related to environment have often been branded as antidevelopment.

The wisdom lies in maintaining a balance between our needs and supplies so
that the delicate ecological balance is not disrupted.
Some of the main reasons responsible for widespread environmental
ignorance can be summed up as follows.
1. Our courses in Science, technology economics etc. have so far failed to
integrate the knowledge in environmental aspects as an essential
component of the curriculum.
2. Our planners, decision makers, politicians and administrators have not
been trained so as to consider the environmental aspects associated with
their plans.
3. In zeal to go ahead with some ambitious development projects, quite often
there is purposeful concealment of information about environmental
aspects.
4. There is greater consideration of economic gains and issues related to
eliminating poverty by providing employment that overshadows the basic
environmental issues.
Methods to Propagate Environmental Awareness
Environmental awareness needs to be created through formal and informal
education to all sections of the society. Everyone needs to understand it
because environment belongs to all every individual matters ‘when it comes to
conservation and protection of environment.’

Various stages and methods that can be useful for raising environmental
awareness in different sections of the society are as follows.

1. Among students through education: Environmental education must be

imparted to the student right from the childhood stage. It is a welcome
step that now all over the country we are introducing environmental
studies as a subject at all stages including school and college level,
following the directives of the Supreme Court.
2. Among the Masses through mass-media: Media can play an important role
to educate the masses on environmental issues through articles,
environmental rallies, plantation campaigns, street plays, real eco-disaster
stories and success stories of conservation efforts. TV serials like Virasat,
Race to save the Planet, Heads and Tails Terra-view, Captain Planet and
the like have been effective in propagating the seeds of environmental
awareness amongst the viewers of all age groups.
3. Among the planners, decision makers and leaders: Since this elite section
of the society plays the most important role in shaping the future of the
society, it is very important to give them the necessary orientation and
training through specially organized workshops and training programmes.
Publication of environment- related resource material in the form of
pamphlets or booklets published by Ministry of Environment & Forests can
also help in keeping this section abreast of the latest developments in the
field.
Role of Non – Government Organizations (NGO’s)

Voluntary organizations can help by advising the government about some

local environmental issues and at the same time interacting at the grass-root
levels. They can act as an effective and viable link between the two. They can
act both e as an ‘action group’ or a ‘pressure group’. They can be very
effective in organizing public movements for the protection of environment
through creation of awareness.

The “Chipko Movement” for conservation of trees by Dasholi gram Swarajya

Mandal in Gopeshwar or the “Narmada Bachao Andolan” organized by
Kalpavriksh, are some of the instances where NGO’s have played a landmark
role in the society for conservation of environment.

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) the world wide fund for Nature –
India (WWF, India) Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, centre for Science and
Environment (CSE) and many others are playing a significant role in creating
environmental awareness through research as well as extension work. The
recent report by CSE on more than permissible limits of pesticides in the cola
drinks sensitized the people all over the country.

Before we can all take up the task of environmental protection and

conservation, we have to be environmentally educated and aware. It is aptly
said “If you want to act green, first think green.”

3.2 Environmental ethics – Issues and possible solutions

Environmental ethics is the discipline that deals with the moral relationship
between human beings and environment. It refers to the issues, principles
and guidelines relating to human interactions with their environment.
Environmental ethics can provide us the guide lines for putting our beliefs
into action and help us decide what to do when faced with crucial situations.
Some important guidelines known as earth ethics or environmental ethics are
as follows.
1. You should love and honours the earth since it has blessed you with
life and governs your survival.
2. You should keep each day sacred to earth and celebrate the turning of
its seasons.
3. You should not hold yourself above other living things and have no
right to drive them to extinction.
4. You should be grateful to the plants and animals which nourish you by
giving you food.
5. You should not waste you resources on destructive weapons.
6. You should not run gains at the cost of nature, rather should strive to
restore its damaged majesty.
7. You should not steal from future generation their right to live in a clean
and safe planet by polluting it.
8. You should consume the material goods is moderate amounts so that
all may share the earth’s precious treasure of resources.
Due to modernization of human society, the beauty and harmony of human
life is highly threatened. If this trend continues, by 2050, the future
generation are very well affected and sustainability will be a big questions.
So, some of the suggestions or solutions for this are;
1. Over exploitation of biodiversity and resources should be immediately
stopped.
2. The feasibility of technology transfer from developed countries should
be assessed through ethical analysis.
3. “Reduction, recycling and reuse” of waste must be the motto of the
21st century, for pollution free energy generation and waste disposal
problems.
4. The ever changing science and technology should have the attitude of
changing from disharmony to harmony, unbalanced to balanced state,
unsustainable state living
5. Any environmental impacts of human activities must be assessed by
efficient and knowledgeable environmentalist or ecologist.
3.3 The conservation ethic and traditional value systems of
India

 In ancient Indian traditions people have always valued mountains,

rivers, forests, trees and several animals. Thus much of nature was
venerated and protected.
 Forests have been associated with the names of forest gods and
goddesses both in the Hindu religion as well as in tribal cultures.
‘Tree’ goddesses have been associated with specific plant species.
Ficus religiosa, the peepal tree, is venerated and is thus not to be
cut down.
 The Banyan tree in some regions such as Maharashtra, is venerated
once a year by tying a thread around it as a symbol of respect. The
Tulsi plant is grown on the doorstep outside every home.
 Patches of forest have been dedicated to a deity in many Indian
cultures especially in tribal areas. These traditionally protected
forest patches depict the true nature of undisturbed vegetation
and have a large number of indigenous plant species as their
exploitation has been controlled through local sentiments.
 Certain species of trees have been protected as they are valued for
their fruit or flowers. The mango tree is protected for its fruit around
most farms even when wood becomes scarce.
 The Mohua tree (Madhuca indica) is protected by tribal people as it
provides edible flowers, oil from its seeds and is used to make a
potent alcohol. Many plants, shrubs and herbs have been used in
Indian medicines which were once available in the wild in plenty.
These are now rapidly vanishing. Many species of animals are
venerated as being the ‘vahan’ or vehicle of dif- ferent gods on which
they are said to travel through the cosmos.
 In Indian mythology, the elephant is associated with Ganesha. The
elephant headed Ganesha is also linked to the rat. Vishnu is
associated with the eagle. Rama is linked to monkeys. In mythology,
Hanuman, the monkey god, rendered invaluable help to Rama
during his travels to Lanka. The Sun god, Surya, rides a horse and
has a superb chariot on which he moves through the sky. The lion is
linked to Durga and the blackbuck to the moon godess. The cow
 is as- sociated with Krishna. Vishnu’s incarnations have been
represented as taking various animal forms which serially include,
fish, tortoise, a boar and a dwarf, and a half man half lion form.
 The associations to various plants that have been given a religious
significance include Tulsi, which is linked to Lakshmi and Vishnu. The
Tulsi plant is also linked to the worship of ones own ances- tors. The
peepal tree is said to be the tree under which Buddha attained
enlightenment. It is also associated with Vishnu and Krishna. Several
trees are associated with the goddess Laxmi, includ- ing Amalaki,
Mango and the Tulsi shrub.
 Traditions also held that these species, which were considered as
an important aspect of Na- ture, were the basis of local life support
systems and were integral to bringing about a harmoni- ous life. In
traditional societies of the past, these examples were all a part of
ethical values that protected nature. As modern science based on
the exploitation on nature spread into India, many of these
traditions began to lose their ef- fectiveness as measures that led to
conserving nature.
 Concepts that support nature’s integrity must thus become a part
of our modern educational systems. This constitutes a key solution to
bring about a new ethic of conserving nature and liv- ing sustainable
lifestyles.
9