Social Issues and environment From unsustainable to sustainable development.; Urban problems related to energy ; Water conservation rain water, harvesting, water-shed management.; Resettlement and rehabilitation of people, its problem and concerns case studies. ; Environmental ethics, issues and possible solution ; Climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents and holocaust case studies. Waste-land reclamation; Consumerism and waste product; Environmental protection act; Air (Prevention and control of pollution) act ; Water ( prevention and control of pollution) act ; Wide-life protection act. ;Forest conservation act. ; Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation ; Public awareness (04 Lectures)
What are the significant climatic changes happening around the globe?
The global average surface temperature has increased by 0.60 C over the last century. Increased rainfall was observed in regions of high latitude and severe draught in some other regions. Great storms like El Nino have been more frequent. The global mean sea level is projected to rise by 9.8 cm by year 2100.
What causes global warming?
About 75% of the solar energy reaching the earth is absorbed by the earth’s surface, which increases its temperature. The rest of the heat radiates back to the atmosphere. Some of the heat is trapped by Green house gases, mostly carbon dioxide. As more amount of carbon dioxide is released by various human activities the same results in global warming.
What will be the effect of global warming?
The average surface temperature is about 150C which is 330C higher than it would be in the absence of greenhouse effect. Without green house gases most of the earth’s surface would be frozen with a mean air temperature of -180C.
What causes acid rains?
Fossil fuels when burned release sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These oxides react with other chemicals in the air and to form sulphuric acid, nitric acid etc. These acid pollutants carried by air currents upwards and finally return to the ground in the form of acid rains.
Have heard of the following ‘andolans’?
(a) Beej Bachao Andolan
(b)
Do you know the full form of the following institutions?
CSE, CEE, WII, BSI, ZSI
CSE – Centre for science & Environment
CEE – Centre for Environment Education
WII – The wildlife
BSI – The Botanical survey of
ZSI - The Zoological survey of
Match the following
CSE – Publishes magazine ‘Down to earth’.
CEE – Develops Environment education programs
WII – Published ‘Planning a Wildlife Protected Area Network for
BSI – Carries out survey of plant resources in the country
ZSI - Carries out survey of fauna in the country
Explain the following Environment Management Programs
JFM, SWM, IPM, IPAS & WSM
JFM –
SWM - Sustainable Water Management. Under this ‘save water campaigns’ are undertaken to increase awareness of dangers of water scarcity. Promotes effective rain water harvesting in Urban environment.
IPM – Integrated
IPAS- Integrated Protected Area Systems. It is useful in protecting ecological biodiversity.
WSM- Water Shed Management. The management of a single unit of land with its water drainage system is called water shed management.
Do you know the method
They are successful in introducing drip irrigation in their country and have doubled the production of fruits and vegetables without much increase in the usage of water.
What is meant by Biological prospecting?
A variety of industries like pharmaceuticals are highly dependent on identifying compounds of great economic value from the wide variety of wild species of plants located in undisturbed natural forests. This is called biological prospecting.
Match the modern drugs from plants and the cure they provide
Vinblastine fromsy periwinkle plant – Controls cancer in children.
Papain from papaya - dissolves excess protein and mucus.
Penicillin from penicillium fungi – Controls infection.
Reserpine from Indian snakeroot – Reduces high blood pressure
Gossypol from cotton – Male contraceptive
Camphor from camphor tree – Increases local blood supply.
L-Dopa from Velvet bean – Controls parkinson’s disease.
What is meant by CCTs?
Continuous contour trenches are used to enhance the infiltration of water, reduce the runoff and check soil erosion. These are shallow trenches dug across the slope of the land and along the contour lines made to conserve soil and water. They are effective on gentle slopes and places of medium rainfall.
What is meant by CCBs?
Continuous contour benches are used to enhance the infiltration of water, reduce the runoff and check soil erosion. These are shallow trenches made of stones to conserve soil and water. They are effective on steep slopes.
What is a Gradonie?
These are used in converting wastelands into agricultural ones.
Explain the term Biomagnification.
Biomagnification is the bioaccumulation of a substance up the food chain by transfer of residues of the substance in smaller organisms that are food for larger organisms in the chain. It generally refers to the sequence of processes that result in higher concentrations in organisms at higher levels in the food chain (at higher trophic levels). These processes result in an organism having higher concentrations of a substance than is present in the organism’s food.
Compare the terms Bioaccumulation & Biomagnification
Bioaccumulation is increase in concentration of a pollutant from the environment to the first organism in a food chain
Biomagnification is increase in concentration of a pollutant from one link in a food chain to another
Descriptive questions
1. Explain the process of vermicomposting.
Questions for Activity: (For Group discussion)
We all know that paper can be recycled & used for various purposes. Can we use recycled paper for food containers?
No. Because of possible contamination.
Arrange the following in the order of difficulty in recycling.
(a) Glass
(b) Aluminium
(c) Steel
(d) Paper
(e) Plastic
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