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MPPSC
DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Science & Tech
Lecture – 31
Environmental Education
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Environmental Education
Environmental Education
❖ Environmental education is necessary to protect the environment from degradation
and pollution and to make the environment suitable for human habitation and
sustainable development.
❖ Environmental education helps in understanding environmental management and
human-environment relations.
❖ Environmental education is directly related to environment and ecology.
Need of environmental education and its objective
❖ It gives knowledge about various components of the environment.
❖ There is an understanding of ecology, ecosystem and human activities.
❖ Information is obtained about various types of environmental pollutants, their causes
and sources and measures to control them.
❖ Environmental degradation and pollution are revealed by human activities.
❖ Human activities are studied to protect and improve the environment.
❖ Latest research work is done to save the environment and it is used for human
welfare.
❖ This awakens awareness towards the environment in the general public.
❖ Governmental and non-governmental organizations can provide their support to
protect the environment from pollution.
Environmental Education in India
❖ Like other countries, environmental education is being emphasized in India too and
efforts are being made to popularize it.
❖ In 1981, the draft of environmental education was prepared by the Indian Institute
of Environment.
❖ An ambitious plan was prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in
1983-84, the main features of which were as follows -
1. To develop education/teaching material in the formal education sector.
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2. To encourage non-governmental organizations, mass media and other related
institutions to increase environmental awareness among people of all sections.
3. To promote environmental education through existing educational/science/research
institutions.
4. To ensure training in the field of environmental education.
Environmental Awareness
❖ Environmental awareness generally means being aware of the environment.
❖ It is necessary to know what the environment is? Human activities harm or benefit
the environment, knowledge of human interdependence in the environment, benefits
of maintaining a clean environment, etc.
❖ Many facts are related to environmental awareness. Environmental awareness
includes knowledge of physical and biological aspects and understanding of
interdependence.
Objectives of environmental awareness
❖ To make people aware of the environment and develop the ability to think.
❖ To identify the causes of environmental imbalance.
❖ To exploit environmental resources with proper and appropriate efficiency.
❖ To provide information at every level about environmental imbalance and local
environmental problems and the damage caused by them.
❖ To take measures for environmental protection. To generate interest in the public
towards maintaining environmental balance.
Programs of environmental awareness
❖ National Green Core Program This program is being run throughout the country
since the year 2000-01 to create awareness about the environment among school
children.
❖ Under this, ecology clubs have been established in every district, in which emphasis is
laid on running environmental programs by involving students.
Main objectives of the program
❖ To introduce children to the environment and its related problems.
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❖ To provide opportunities for environmental education to school children.
❖ To make school children partners in creating awareness in the society.
❖ To involve school children in the decision making process in the field related to
environment and development.
❖ To involve children in activities related to the surrounding environment.
National Environment Awareness Campaign
❖ The National Environment Awareness Campaign was launched in 1986 with the
objective of creating awareness about the environment at the national level.
❖ Under this campaign, financial assistance is given to NGOs, schools, colleges,
universities, research institutes, military units, government departments etc. across
the country for activities related to awareness and creation.
❖ Under this campaign, seminars, workshops, training programmes, camps, treks,
public meetings, essay/debate/poster/painting competitions, folk dances etc. are
organized by the concerned organizations at the national level.
Global Education and Observation for the Benefit of Environment (GLOBE)
❖ It is a scientific and educative international programme which provides a variety of
investigative opportunities to students to perform environmental activities with the
knowledge of scientific protocols.
Celebrating Earth Day
❖ Earth Day is celebrated on 22nd April to raise awareness among people about the
environment.
Major public awareness movements in India
❖ The main purpose of the movements being run for environmental protection is to
protect the environment. Today the entire earth is affected due to the unbalanced
development process adopted for the past several years. Due to these ill effects, the
common man has been inspired to run movements for some time, the major
movements of which are as follows -
1. Bishnoi Movement
❖ It was started in the 15th century by Saint Jambhoji in Rajasthan. Influenced by
Saint Jambhoji, in 1731 Amrita Devi Bishnoi along with her three daughters
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sacrificed their lives to save the forests in Khejari village of Rajasthan. Within no
time, 363 people of Khejari village lost their lives. The then Maharaja Ajit Singh of
Jodhpur withdrew the order to cut the forests. This movement inspired many
movements in India.
2. Chipko Movement
❖ In 1973, Sunderlal Bahuguna, Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Gora Devi started the
Chipko movement from Gopeshwar in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand to stop illegal
cutting of trees and protect the environment.
❖ In this, the agitators stick to the trees and save them from being cut. Women
participated enthusiastically in this movement.
❖ In 1974, when the forest department auctioned a part of the Parg Marenda forest,
the volunteers of that area started a movement by clinging to the trees. Although the
contractors wanted to take over the area with the help of the police, they could not
succeed in their objective due to the strong opposition of the agitators.
3. Appiko Movement
❖ In meaning, context, and sentiment, this movement is similar to the Chipko
Movement. It began in South India in 1983, and its pioneer is Pandurang Hegde.
❖ Here Appiko is a Kannada word, which means 'embrace of trees'.
❖ The main slogan of this movement was "Ulisu Belesu Mattu Balisu" which means save,
increase and use.
4. Navdanya Movement
❖ This movement was started by Vandana Shiva in 1982.
❖ The main objective of this movement is to motivate and train people for organic
farming and to protect India's biodiversity and its heritage.
5. Silent Valley Movement
❖ This movement was started in 1973 in protest against the Kudremukh hydroelectric
project being built on the Kuntipunj river in Kerala.
❖ There was a fear of huge loss of biodiversity due to this project.
❖ Sugatha Kumari played an important role in this movement.
6. Jungle Bachao Andolan
❖ This movement was started in 1980 in Singhbhum area of Jharkhand.
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❖ The reason for this was that the government was planning to cut down the natural
Sal trees in this area and plant teak trees in their place.
❖ Meanwhile, the tribals of Singhbhum area became angry.
7. Narmada Bachao Andolan
❖ This movement was started by Medha Patkar in 1989, its main objective was to get
the environmental standards approved for the multipurpose dam project being built
on the Narmada river.
❖ Other leaders of this movement were Arundhati Roy, Baba Amte and Anil Patel.
8. Meiti Andolan
❖ This is an environmental movement started in Uttarakhand in 1994 by Professor of
Biology Kalyan Singh Rawat.
❖ Its main objective is to make the forest-less mountains of Uttarakhand green again.
❖ This movement is based on the women of Uttarakhand.
❖ In this, at the time of marriage, the girl's side plants trees in the maternal home.
❖ This is an emotional environmental movement.
9. Save Western Ghats Movement
❖ This movement was started in 1980 by the workers of the People's Party of Goa to
protest against the destruction of the environment and biodiversity of the Western
Ghats by the Maharashtra government.
❖ The main slogan of this movement was 'Save the forest, save humans'.
10. Terai Arc Project
❖ This project was started in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for
tiger conservation in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal and the creation of
green corridors in the Terai regions.
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