  
Life on
earth | Forestry | Energy
| Water
Air pollution | Climate change
| Biotechnology | Solid waste
 Every morning you are up early, feeling fresh after a
good night’s sleep, and all ready and fit to leave for school. But by the time you
reach the bus stop your eyes begin to burn and a nagging cough seems to have come to stay.
Memories of the lovely holiday you had in the hills or the one in Goa start coming back to
you. There was no nagging cough or burning eyes you could actually feel the difference
between the air in the big city where you live and that of the small hill station or the
seaside. Don't you think now is the time for all of us to work towards a cleaner and
healthier environment.
Numbers to make you think
- Greenhouse gases have quadrupled
since the 1950s.
- 20% of the world’s population
lacks access to safe drinking water and 50% to sanitation systems.
- 80% of the world’s original
forest cover has been cleared or degraded and 39% of the remaining forest is threatened by
mining or logging projects.
- 25% of the world's mammal species
may be totally extinct.
- More than 50% of the world’s
coral reefs are threatened
 Who is an
environmentalist?
Two doctors were
walking along the bank of a river when they saw a man drowning. One of them jumped into
the water, pulled him out, and administered first-aid. By the time the doctor was done
with him, there came another, followed by yet another. The doctor now decided to set up a
clinic at that spot.
The second doctor
decided to go upstream and find out what was pushing people into the river. He was an
environmentalist: –rather than going in for symptomatic treatment, he wanted to
tackle the problem at source. This is what is needed today. |
The word environment means surrounding objects or circumstances,
but now it is used more loosely to mean the condition of the air, water, land and other
things surrounding us. The environment consists of forms of life such as animals, plants,
and human beings as well as non-living substances such as water, air, soil and rocks. In
the last hundred years the environment has become seriously affected mainly due to the
following reasons: economic factors, industrialization, man’s increasing dependence
on machines, and large-scale use of chemicals in agriculture, to name some.
Urbanization
has lead to increase in human population causing destruction of natural resources of
the environment. The world has woken up to the magnitude of this problem and various
organizations have taken initiatives to bring all countries under a common forum to find
solutions during various conferences through pacts and
protocols.
The time
line will help you understand the progress of these initiatives that have been
collectively taken by the world for the improvement of the environment. Various governments including the Government of
India has implemented environmental laws to keep check on
environmental degradation and damage within their regions. Today several NGOs or Non-Governmental Organizations are taking steps to curb
environmental destruction. All this will hopefully lead to a healthier and cleaner earth
for the generations to come.
Topics for you to
explore
Glossary
of terms to increase your word power
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