Environment Management MODULE - 3

Resource Management

15 Notes

ENVIRONMENT
MANAGEMENT

The day is not far off when a drop of water is going to cost us as much if not
more than a drop of oil! And soon, we will have no more forests left to clear!
Worse still, whatever little land will be left for agriculture, will have no
capacity to grow anything! Alarming! Isn’t it?
Our environment is going from bad to worse and will soon loose its ability to
support life! Are you wondering why?
To understand the nature and magnitude of these environmental problems
and to find remedies for them, we will study environment management in
this lesson.

OBJECTIVES
After studying this lesson you will be able to:

define the term 'environment' and ‘environmental degradation’;

identify the causes and adverse effects of environmental degradation;

explain the term ‘eco friendly’;

list eco friendly and non-eco friendly products and practices, and

define the role of individuals and the government in contributing to a
better environment.

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15.1 ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

What do we mean by environment?

Environment is our surroundings which include all forms of life (plants,
animals, human beings), air, water, land, buildings, parks, vehicles, etc.
Notes
Our environmental is in a dynamic state. It keeps changing every now and
then. You would have observed many changes around you, like floods or
drought in certain years, new industries, multi-storey buildings, new means
of transport, etc. If these changes are favourable to life, then the environ-
ment is not harmed. However, unfavourable changes lead to degradation of
the environment.
Environmental degradation refers to an unfavourable
change of our surroundings.
Air
Degradation of Land Environmental
Water Degradation
For example, if we keep throwing garbage in a park, after some time there
will be a large heap of garbage and the place will start smelling. Moreover, it
will also become a breeding ground for pests like rats, flies, mosquitoes, etc.
Such an undesirable change is referred to as degradation.
You can observe such environmental degradation not only on land but also
in water and air.
15.2 WHO CAUSES ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION?
You must be aware that most of the environmental degradation has been
caused by man! Take a paper and pencil and list some of the causes you can
think of. Did your list include the following?

Uncontrolled population growth

Technical advancement

Poor agricultural practices

Improper personal habits

Natural causes
Let us learn more about these causes.
15.2.1 Uncontrolled Population Growth
You are aware that our country's population is increasing every day. This
leads to excessive demands on our enviornment in terms of food, fuels and
space. More people means more demand for employment. As a result more
industries, dams, roads and railway tracks are being constructed. This has
led to industrialization and urbanisation, growth of slums, reduced forest
cover and unhygenic living conditions. All these are affecting our enviornment
2 leading to its degradation.
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Uncontrolled Population

Leads to Demands for

Food Notes
More More Fuel
Space
Employment

The demand causes Slums: Areas which have

jhuggies (temporary houses
mostly inhabited by squatters).

Industrialization

Urbanisation
Deforestation These areas lack basic facilities

Construction such as water, electricity, drain-
age and sewage disposal.
Environmental Degradation
Squatter is a person who occu-
You can play a role in controlling the population and its consequent ill pies unused land, without hav-
effects by delaying the birth of your first child by a couple of years deciding ing a legal right to do so.
not to get married before the legal age (18 yrs – girls, 21 yrs – boys).
15.2.2 Technical Advancement
Today there is technical advancement in all walks of life. New models of
cars, telephones including cellphones, and home appliances like washing
machines, microwave ovens, etc. are flooding the market.
Our offices are also full of new gadgets. They are produced in industries
which generate toxic chemical wastes, harmful gases and radio active pol-
lutants during their manufacturing process. These pollutants kill all forms of
life in air, water and land. The smoke generated by the industries, mines,
automobiles and aeroplanes leads to the depletion of the ozone layer. Thus,
our environment gets degraded by these technical advancements.
Technical Advancement

Nuclear weapons Industries & mines Transportation

(atom bombs)
Automobiles Aeroplanes Ships
Toxic Harmful gases oil spills
War chemical (smoke, lead,
wastes CO2 CO,etc.)

dumped or Affects

let
Radio-active discharged acquatic
out
pollution into water fishes
in
or land and Ozone layer
air
animals is a thin protective layer of air
around the Earth which protects
Kills all forms of life
depletion us from overexposure to ultra vio-
in air, water and land
of ozone layer let rays of sun.
CO2 - Carbon dioxide
LAND DEGRADATION CO Carbon monoxide
WATER DEGRADATION
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AIR DEGRADATION
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INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.1

1. Select (√) the right answer.
(i) Environment consists of
Notes
(a) air that living things breathe
(b) water, land and living things
(c) all living and non-living things
(d) water, land and non-living things
(ii) Environmental degradation refers to unfavourable change of
(a) human interactions
(b) water pollution
(c) land degradation
(d) surroundings
2. Match the following items in Column A with the corresponding items
in column B
Column A Column B
(a) Over crowdedness (i) fuels
(b) Automobiles (ii) vehicles
(c) Radio-active pollution (iii) chemical wastes
(d) Aeroplanes (iv) slum conditions
(e) Industries (v) air
(f) Construction (vi) smoke
(vii) nuclear weapons
(viii) deforestation

15.2.3 Poor Agricultural Practices

Our agricultural practices have also undergone change. Practices like over-
grazing, exessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, shifting cultiva-
tion, overploughing and overcropping have led to the hardening of soil and
soil erosion. The soil has started losing its fertility and productivity. Thus,
soil degradation has become an environmental concern.

15.2.4 Improper Personal Habits

Some of our unhygenic personal habits like spitting in public, defecating in
the open, bathing and washing clothes near water sources, etc, has lead to
the degradation of land and water. Other habits like smoking and playing
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loud music have led to air degradation. All these together, contribute to en-
vironmental degradation.
Improper Personal Habits

Spitting Open air Bathing, Playing Smoking Notes

defecating washing loud
clothes near music
water sources
Land degradation
Water Air degradation
degradation

15.2.5 Natural Causes

Sometimes nature also leads to environmental degradation. Earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions give rise to harmful dust, heat, smoke and other harmful
gases. Floods, famines and strong winds lead to soil erosion and destruction
of life among human beings, animals and plants. In this manner land, air and
water are all affected negatively leading to environmental degradation.
Natural causes

Earthquakes Volcanic Floods Famine Strong winds

eruptions

give rise to
Soil erosion

Destruction of life
harmful dust, heat, (plants, man and animals)
smoke and other
harmful gases

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.2

a) Fill in the blanks:

(i) Poor agricultural practices lead to soil ______________ and
decreases the soil _________.
(ii) Earthquakes and volcanoes give rise to harmful _____________,
smoke, ____________ and _______.
(iii) Overgrazing by cattle leads to ____________ of soil and ultimately
to ______ erosion.
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(iv) Poor personal habits like ________ and ___________ can result
in land degradation whereas habits like ________ lead to air deg-
radation.
(v) Floods, famine and strong winds are called __________ disasters.
Notes 15.3 EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Over cropping: So far, you have seen how environmental degradation is caused in different
When too many crops are raised spheres like land, air and water. Obviously, it is bound to affect us in some
at the same time or with very way or the other.
little time gap.
Soil erosion: Let us see the different forms of environmental degradation and how they
When the top fertile layer of soil affect us:
gets carried away by wind, wa-

Soil / land degradation
ter etc., it is called soil erosion.

Deforestation ( clearing of forests)

Degradation of air

Degradation of water

Slum conditions
15.3.1 Soil / land degradations
Do you know that soil is the top fertile layer of land in which plants grow?
Have you ever wondered what happens to so many leaves that fall on the
ground every autumn? Yes, they disappear into the ground after some time.
But do you know why?
Actually, soil contains some very important micro-organisms which help in
decaying waste materials like dead plants and animals into simpler substances.
In this process, they release nutrients, which help to increase the fertility of
the soil. As they make the soil fertile these micro-organisms are also called
the farmer’s friend.
But when we use too much of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or dump wastes
from mines and industries on land, these micro-organisms get killed. Thus,
eventually the fertility of soil is affected, as the micro-organsims are not
available to decompose the dead plants and animals.
Do you know that sprays like pesticides also penetrate plants, fruits and
vegetables and is passed on to men and animals when consumed. It causes
deadly diseases like cancer and also affects the nervous system. Traces of
pesticides can also be detected in milk.
Do you remember what is soil erosion? (Refer to Section 15.2.3)
‘The top layer of soil which is fertile is bound by roots of the trees. But with
clearing of forests, this soil gets exposed and gets carried away by strong
winds, floods, glaciers, etc. This is called soil erosion and it affects the fertil-
ity of soil.

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Activity15.1: Take two boxes and fill them up with soil. Tilt them at
an angle. Sow grass in one and leave the other one bare. Water them
and collect the water which runs off the bottom of slopes. Note the
colour of the water. Calculate the amount of soil (when water dries up). You
will notice that the amount of soil lost is more in the case of the barren box as
compared to the one with grass. This experiment shows that plants help to Notes
bind the soil and prevent soil erosion.
In short,
Effects of Land Degradation

Kills the Soil erosion Causes diseases like cancer

micro organisms and effects the nervous
which help system
decompose
dead materials

Affects the fertility of the soil

15.3.2 Deforestation
Forests are referred to as
Forests are very important to us as they provide us wood, medicinal plants
‘oxygen banks’.
and many raw materials for commercial and domestic use. Most important,
they supply oxygen to us and influence the weather conditions. They cause
rainfall, maintain temperature and control wind and humidity.
You already know that plants check soil erosion. In addition, forest are also
responsible for recharging our natural sources of water like springs, lakes
and rivers. Last but not the least, they provide home for wild animals and
birds.
What happens when there are no roots of trees to bind the top soil?
Yes, it leads to

land slides

floods

soil erosion
All this leads to raising the level of the sea beds, and the land available to us
is reduced.

Where there are no forests, there is no rainfall, which affects the climate and
ultimately leads to drying of springs, lakes and rivers. You must have seen
or heard elders talking about springs which existed once upon a time. Now
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all you can see is either land or marks of water on the stones. Wild animals
and birds are the worst affected as they die and may become extinct. Can
you see any difference in the flow of water in a local river in last 2-3 years?
In short,
Notes
Deforestation leads to

Land slides
Floods
Soil erosion
Change in
Extinction of wild

climate animals and birds
– no rainfall
– drying of
lakes, rivers, etc.
Raise the level of the sea beds

Reduced availability of land

15.3.3 Degradation of Air
You can see the effects of air degradation in the following ways:

Acid rain

Depletion of ozone layer

Global warming

Man-made disasters

Diseases

Acid Rain
Smoke from vehicles and industries gives rise to harmful gases like
sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. They react with water vapour
in the clouds to form dilute acids and come down as acid rain.
This acid rain is very dangerous and affects all kinds of plants, fishes
and animals. It even affects the buildings and monuments. Erosion and
discolouration of the white marble used in the construction of the Taj
Mahal is one such example.

Depletion of Ozone Layer
Do you remember what is ozone layer? Refer to section 15.2.2
Yes, ozone layer protects the earth from overexposure to the harmful
ultraviolet rays of the sun. This ozone layer gets destroyed by harmful
gases used in refrigerators and fire extinguishers. Overexposure to ul-

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traviolet rays can cause skin cancer and eye problems like cataract and
blindness. It also results in stunted growth of plants.

Global Warming
There are naturally occuring gases in the atmosphere which can absorb
radiations of the sun. These are called “green house gases”. Because Notes
of their presence, not all solar radiations reaching the earth are reflected
back to outer space but some of the radiations are held back by these
green house gases. This process is called the green-house effect. This
effect makes the temperature on earth warm enough for life to flourish.
But because of human activities like deforestation, forest fires, burning
of fuels, etc., tons of gases like CO2, methane, etc., are released in the
atmosphere. The gases absorb the solar radiations and form a blanket
around the earth, preventing the radiations from reflecting back into
space.
This results in an increase in atmospheric temperature which is felt all
over the world and is known as ‘global warming’.
You must have noticed that in past eight-ten years, summers are getting
hotter whereas winters are getting less cold. Even the rainfall is unpre-
dictable. Every year there is an increase in the earth’s temperature! These
are the results of global warming!

Man-Made Disasters
Time and again, man has caused massive environmental degradation -
killing all kinds of life through leakages and disasters like war and atom
bombs. For example, the world still mourns over deaths of lakhs of
people who were killed when a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki during the World War II. Its effects were seen in handi-
capped children born several years later to mothers exposed to the ra-
diations. It also affected the plants, animals, aquatic life and the soil for
many years.
Years later, another man made disaster was caused when oil fields were
burnt during the Gulf War between Kuwait and Iraq. The oil leaked
into the sea. The fire spread even to the sea and continued for months.
It killed an infinite number of aquatic fishes and animals and the smoke
polluted the air for months.
Industrial leakage has also been responsible for many deaths. We, the
people of India, can not forget the Bhopal gas tragedy. In Bhopal, a gas
leakage from a pesticide factory killed thousands of people. Those who
survived are still suffering from respiratory problems like bronchitis,
asthma, as well as eye and skin problems.

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In yet another incident, thousands of people from Chernobyl town in
Russia had to be evacuated because of radioactive leakage. These ra-
dioactive particles get carried away by wind to far off places. Finally
they settle down and cause soil, plant and water degradation. From
here they enter man and animals through the food chain. Thus radioac-
Notes tive pollution affects all kinds of life.

Fig. 15.1: Food Chain

Diseases
Food Chain
A sequence of organisms which All the above factors are responsible for most of our respiratory dis-
is food for the next higher organ- eases like cough and colds, bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer and also
ism e.g. grass is eaten by deer irritations like itching of the skin and watering of the eyes. People from
which is eaten by tiger. heavily populated and polluted cities like Delhi and Kolkata are more
prone to these diseases. As we take a step forward and begin to take
precautions against the disease caused by depradation of environment
it is also important that we take precautions against transmission of
HIV, AIDS and STDs. This can be easily accomplished by practising
safe sex and insisted use of condoms.
15.3.4 Water Degradation
Have you observed that the water in rivers, lakes and canals is not crystal
clear? Most of the rivers, especially those near the towns and cities give out
a foul smell. You can even see foam and froth floating on the surface of
water. Foam cuts out the oxygen supply to fishes and animals living in the
water and they eventually die. Waste from sewage is mainly responsible for
Water plants take in CO2 (expired most of the diseases like jaundice, diarrhoea and dysentery, typhoid, gastro-
by water animals) in presence of enteritis and malaria.
sunlight and release O 2 (dis-
solved) which is taken in by ani- In addition to these, water is further degraded by chemical wastes of indus-
mals but foam and froth do not tries causing serious diseases like leukemia, cancer, allergies, crippling, etc.
let sunlight pass through them.
Thus it cuts out the O2 supply. In short,
Water degradation leads to

Death of fishes Water borne diseases Other diseases like

and other acquatic like jaundice, physical deformities,
animals dysentery, etc. leukemia, cancer, etc.
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15.3.5 Slum Conditions
People from rural areas migrate to cities and towns in thousands in search of
employment. But where do they live? Yes, they make temporary mud or tin
huts with roofs of plastic sheets. Many people live inside these huts with few
or no facilities of water, electricity, sanitation, etc. Notes
A cluster of such huts together is called a slum. Have you ever seen such
slums? Can you specify their locations? Yes, mostly they are located near
rivers and factories, under bridges or along the roads.
If you go into any of these slums, the first thing you notice is overcrowding
of people, children in torn, dirty clothes or some without a decent covering,
smelly dirty lanes, open choked drains, piles of foul smelling garbage, flies,
mosquitoes, etc. Worst of all, all around these slums, within half a kilometre,
there are signs of open air defecation. If they are near a river, they treat the
river as an open bathroom where they can perform activities like bathing,
washing clothes, defecating, etc.
Do you remember plague, the recent Surat epidemic which scared all the
people of the country and took so many lives? Improper garbage disposal
was the reason. Household pests and rodents like rats thrive in such places.
People living in such unhygienic conditions without the basic facilities usu-
ally suffer from jaundice, parasite worms, diarrhoea, dysentery, scabies, tu-
berculosis, malaria and high noise level. Loud noise can lead to permanent
deafness, increase in blood pressure, stress, anxiety and nervous breakdown.
In short,

Slum conditions lead to

Diseases Unhygenic High noise level

like jaundice, conditions leading to deafness,
diarrhoea, scabies, sometimes stress, etc.
tuberculosis, etc. leading to plague

Activity 15.2: Visit a slum / industrial unit and observe and record
their environmental conditions.

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INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.3

1. Complete the sentences of column A with the help of column B
Column A Column B
Notes
(a) Trees (i) global warming.
(b) Chemical fertilizers (ii) change in temperatures.
(c) Deforestation (iii) deplete soil fertility.
(d) Refrigeration gases (iv) lead to land slides and floods.
(v) prevent soil erosion.
2. Choose the right answer and fill in the blanks:
(a) _____________ (ozone layer / acid rain / heat of sun) is respon-
sible for destruction of life and erosion of buildings.
(b) Depletion of ozone layer can lead to ________ (skin cancer /
anaemia/respiratory disease) and problems of ____________
(bones/liver/eyes)
(c) Global warming has resulted in increase in __________ (winds/
temperature / rain fall)
(d) Degradation of air is mainly responsible for diseases of __________
(respiratory, circulatory, digestive) system like __________ and
__________ (jaundice / asthma / cholera / bronchitis)
(e) Effect of nuclear explosions can be seen in __________(normal
weight / handicapped/happy) children born to mothers exposed to
radiations after many years.
(f) Two diseases which occur due to improper sewage disposal in the
water are ______________ and _____________.
(jaundice, tuberclosis, malaria, typhoid)
(g) Two diseases which occur due to chemical wastes of industries are
_____________________ and ___________________________.
(leukemia,allergy, malaria, asthma)

15.4 A RAY OF HOPE

Still, all is not lost. If we want, we can still save our earth! But the only way
is that we must try to adopt products and practices which do not degrade the
environment. We address such products and practices as ‘eco friendly’. An-
other term used for eco-friendly is bio-friendly.
The word ‘eco’ is derived from the word ‘ecology’ which is concerned with

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the relationship between plants, animals, man and environment. By eco-
friendly products and practices, we mean those products and practices which
are not harmful to the environmental.
These products and practices are considered eco-friendly on the basis of their

production, Notes

use, and

disposal
Production: If the manufacturer follows all the safety and preventive mea- Biodegradable:
sures during production and takes care of waste products, like treating the Which can decompose or
sewage and industrial wastes before letting them in the water or air then such disintergrate into simpler sub-
stances and be a part of the soil.
products are called ‘eco-friendly’.
Recycled:
Use: If the product does not harm the environment by giving out poisonous Which can be reused to make a
gases or wastes while using, it is eco-friendly. For example, lead in petrol is new product, e.g. paper can be re-
very harmful but if it is removed from petrol, the petrol becomes ‘eco- used to make board boxes or in-
ferior quality paper.
friendly’.
Disposal: The packaging and leftovers of a product should be such that they
are either biodegradable or can be recyled. For example, polythenes cannot
decompose and thus become a nuisance as they choke the drains. They are
non-biodegradable. On the other hand, paper bags can decompose or even
be recyled to make other products like cardboard boxes, newspaper, etc. So,
paper bags are considered eco-friendly. Products which do not take care of
the environmental and increase its degradation are called non eco-friendly
products.
Let us list some non eco-friendly and eco-friendly products.
Non eco-friendly products Eco-friendly products
(a) petrol (a) unleaded petrol
(b) crude motor oil (b) double refined motor oil
(c) synthetic paints (c) water based paints
(d) synthetic fabrics like (d) jute and cotton
nylon, acrylic etc.
(e) polythene bags (e) paper bags
(f) traditional chullahs (f) smokeless chullahs, solar
cooker and biogas
(g) thermocol glasses (g) earthen cups (Indian
Railways has introduced
these cups for serving tea)
Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched an ‘Eco Mark’ since Feb-
ruary 1991. It contains an ISI mark along with an earthen pot which symbolises

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biodegradability and closeness to the environment. This mark is given by
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Eco mark is given to certify that a product
fulfills a minimum pollution control standard and achieves high environ-
ment friendliness in production, packaging and waste disposal.

Notes

Fig. 15.2: Eco mark

Eco-friendly practices can also be adopted instead of non eco-friendly prac-

tices. Some of them are listed below:
Non eco-friendly practices Eco-friendly practices
1. Throwing household (1) Household wastes can be used to make manure
garbage on streets or for kitchen garden. Such manure helps to increase
down the hill soil productivity, e.g. a compost pit in your garden.
(in case of hills) Do you know that the inmates of Tihar Jail have
started converting their garbage into rich manure?
They have not only got rid of the source of
diseases, but are also selling this manure and
earning.

2. Dumping domestic Planned recycling can be made profitable.

wastes on streets For example domestic waste can be recycled-
paper and textiles for paper making; metals and
glass for remelting for further use, plastics for
production of inferior grade plastics.

3. Dumping industrial Setting up sewage treatment plants near the

wastes on industries and introducing pollution control
land and in water measures in industries.

4. Emitting industrial Separating pollutants from harmful gases and

gases in the air making them harmless before releasing them
in the air.

5. Defecating in the Constructing ‘Sulabh Shauchalayas’, especially

open near the slums.

6. Deforestation Planting trees (aforestation) on a massive scale.

(clearing forests)

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INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.4

1. Choose the most appropriate answer:
(i) Eco-friendly products mean things which are
Notes
a. very harmful to the environment
b. less harmful to the environment
c. not harmful to the environment
d. not very harmful to the environment
(ii) Eco-friendly products are given
a. FPO mark
b. AGMARK
c. ISI mark
d. ECO mark
(iii) Products are termed eco-friendly on the basis of their
a. production, use and disposal
b. disposal, recycling and dumping
c. production, distributing and recyling
d. use, disposal and distributing
2. Given below are some eco-friendly non eco-friendly products. Categorise
them under their appropriate headings:
polythene bag, water based paints, jute, nylon sari, unleaded petrol, so-
lar cooker, earthen cups, crude motor oil, paper bag, canvas.
3. Match list A with list B and follow the pattern given in the example
below.
List A List B
e.g.: Deforestation Aforestation
(a) defecating in open (i) pollutants separated before letting
out
(b) household wastes (ii) recycling for industrial use
(c) industrial gases (iii) Sulabh Shauchalaya
(d) industrial wastes (iv) manure for garden
(e) municipal wastes (v) sewage treatment plants
(vi) land treatment plants

15.5 HOW CAN WE HELP IN ENVIRONMENTAL

CONSERVATION
a) At home
— Adopt the principle of "3 R’s" Reduce (consumption) Re-use (ar-
ticles) and Recycle (wastes).
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— use solar cookers and solar heaters as far as possible
— maintain sanitary conditions and adopt hygienic habits like no spit-
ting or defecating in the open.
— ensure proper disposal of refuse, human excreta, etc.
— adopt family planning norms and keep the family small
Notes
— save water for the future. Use minimum water for all activities and
Waste land is the land which is avoid wastage
degraded by sanitary land refills,
or industrial wastes, etc. — avoid loud speakers to celebrate
Sanitary refill: After reducing to — avoid smoking.
smallest volume, Municipal
wastes are dumped in an enclosed b) While going out
area outside the city. The refuse — live as close as possible to your office / school/college
is covered with soil for
decomposition. This is called — share cars and use unleaded petrol or compressed natural gas (CNG),
sanitary refill. if available
— use bicycles - good for your health too!
— use public transportation as much as you can.
c) Be close to nature
— each one plant one tree ( take care of it too! )
— report any illegal felling of trees and cases of corruption pollution
to concerned authorities
— contribute funds for wild life conservation
— spread awareness among your friends, families and relatives on how
to make our earth GREEN!.

15.6 THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN CONTROLLING

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Man has now become conscious of long-term effects of environmental deg-
radation. Government plays an important role in controlling the degradation
of the environment. Some of the significant measures taken by the govern-
ment are to:
— ensure that all industries are located far away from cities
— enforce strict laws for pollution control in industries as well as vehicles
— ensure that all industries set up waste treatment plants
— encourage the industries to link and reuse the wastes of each other, wher-
ever possible, for example steel mills can use worn out parts of automo-
bile industry
— insist on people adopting family planning norms
— provide efficient waste disposal systems for domestic wastes
— educate the public on the causes and effects of environmental degrada-
tion.
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— motivate the people to use biogas, solar cooker, solar heater, etc.
— ensure healthy farm practices like using natural manures, crop rotation,
mixed cropping, etc.
— motivate people to grow trees and care for them,
— conserve wild life by maintaining the forest reserves.
Notes
Activity 15.3: 1. Visit the local scrap-dealer's (Kabadi wala) shop.
Find out where and how the following are disposed:
(i) Old newspapers and magazines
(ii) Metal and plastic items, and
(iii) Glass bottles.

2. Sort out your household waste as biodegradable and non biodegradable.

Use the biodegradable wastes for making manure.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15.5

1.. Correct the following statements and give reasons.

(i) It does not matter if people have large families.
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
(ii) All members of society should not be involved in environmental
management programmes.
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
(iii) Household waste disposal is not important because final disposal
of garbage will be done properly.
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
(iv) Waste lands cannot be cultivated for agriculture.
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
(v) Healthy farming practices include overcropping and use of chemi-
cal fertilizers.
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 MODULE - 3 Environment Management
Resource Management
4. Rearrange the letters to indicate the correct terms for the following
i. Avoid cutting trees NTOSIFEAORTED
ii. Pollutes the air ISGOMKN
iii. Melting of glass and GCEIRCYLN
Notes metal for re-use
iv. Eco friendly fuel for cooking SGAOIB
v. Recycling of household waste EAMUNR

WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

Over Techincal Poor Improper Natural

Population Advancement Farm Practices Personal Habits Causes

LEAD TO

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

Soil Deforestation Degradation of air Degradation Slum conditions

Degradation
Land slides
Acid rain of water
Over crowding

Kills microor-
Floods
Depletion of
Water borne
Unsanitary
ganisms
Soil erosion Ozone layer diseases conditions

Soil erosion
Changes in
Global warming
Death of
Diseases

Diseases like climate
Man made aquatic life
Noise
cancer, etc.
Higher sea bed disasters
Other pollution

Extinction of diseases like
plants and leukemia,
animals cancer, etc.

Eco-friendly Efforts by
ENVIRONEMNTAL individuals and
products and
MANAGEMENT Government
practices

BETTER ENVIRONMENT
18 HOME SCIENCE
 Environment Management MODULE - 3
Resource Management

TERMINAL EXERCISE
1. Define environmental degradation with two suitable examples from your
day-to-day life.
2. What do you understand by the term ‘eco-friendly’? List four examples Notes
each of eco-friendly products and eco-friendly practices.
3. Explain how forests help in conserving the environment. Analyse the
effects of deforestation.
4. How does technical advancement lead to environmental degradation?
5. Briefly explain the effects of overpopulation on our environment.
6. Discuss the following effects of air degradation.
(a) acid rain (b) global warming (c) depletion of ozone layer.
7. Present your plan to conserve your environment.
8. Compare the living conditions of a person living in a city with that of a
person living in a village.

ANSWERS TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

15.1 1. (i) c, (ii) d

2. (a) iv (b) vi (c) vii (d) vi (e) iii (f) viii

15.2 (a) (i) erosion, fertility.

(ii) dust, heat, harmful gases
(iii) hardening of soil, soil
(iv) spitting, defecating in open, smoking,
(v) natural
15.3 1. (a) (v) (b) (iii) (c) (iv) (d) (i)

2. (a) acid rain (b) skin cancer and eyes (c) temperature
(d) respiratory, asthma, bronchitis (e) handicapped

(f) jaundice, malaria (any two)

(g) lukemia, allergy

15.4 1. (a) (iii) (b) (iv) (c) (i)

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 MODULE - 3 Environment Management
Resource Management
2. eco-friendly non eco-friendly
— water based paints — polythene bags
— jute — nylon sari
— earthen cups — crude motor oil
Notes — paper bags
— canvas
3. (a) (iii) (b) (iv) (c) (i) (d) (v) (e) (ii)
15.5
1. (i) People should have small families. Large families lead to many
problems.
(ii) Poorest members should be involved in environmental man-
agement programmes.
(iii) Household waste should be properly disposed. Otherwise it
leads to environmental degradation.
(iv) Waste lands can be cultivated for agriculture.
(v) Healthy farm practices include mixed cropping and use of natu-
ral manures.
For giving reasons, refer text.
2. (i) Deforestration (ii) Smoking (iii) Recycling
(iv) Biogas (v) Manure.
3. a) (iii), b) (iv), c) (v), d) (v), e) (ii)

AUDIO - Vayu Pradushan

VIDEO - Man and Environment

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