In this topic environmental studies you will gain an understanding on of how individuals, communities, leaders, institutions, and governmental initiatives contribute to the creation of sustainable goods and the preservation of natural resources on earth
Environmental Studies Guide to Beyond the Green Movement
Environmental studies is a guide aimed at developing organic products that can be reused, recycled, or safely disposed of once they have served their purpose.
As the natural environment gains increasing attention from society, businesses have already taken steps to adapt their practices in order to address these newfound concerns. They have swiftly embraced concepts such as environmental management systems and waste reduction, seamlessly incorporating environmental considerations into every aspect of their operations.
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| Environmental studies |
Human beings require and use lot of products in their lifetime like clothes, food, utensils, gadgets and many more. After people use the products they are discarded, thrown away. Now the discarded products are creating problem as it is contaminating the soil, water bodies and polluting the air. Which in turn is causing health hazards to the people
Ecolabelling schemes are gaining popularity worldwide, with at least fifteen countries, including India, implementing these environmental labeling programs.
These countries are Germany 1977, Canada1988, Japan1989, Nordic Countries1989, New Zealand1990, Sweden1990, United States1990, Austria1991, India1991, European Union1992, France1992, South Korea1992, Singapore1992, The Netherlands1992, Croatia1993
The Government of India and few other organizations have made efforts to promote Green Marketing. In 1991, the Government of India instituted a voluntary scheme to label consumer products as environment friendly and to label a green product; the government adopted a sign of “Ecomark”.
Ecomark scheme in India
The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India labels all Environment Friendly Products through Gazette Notification No. 71. This started from 21st February 1991. The scheme is operating on a national basis and provides acc reditation and labeling for household and other consumer products which meet certain environmental criteria along with quality requirements of the Indian Standards for that product. The Scheme is known as “ECOMARK”
The scheme is voluntary and invites participation from common citizens and industrial sectors in the larger interest of environment.
Business companies must design products that is in balance with the environment and here are some guidelines for this.
Evaluating the human health and environmental impacts of its processes and products.
Identifying what information is needed to make human health and environment decisions
Conducting an assessment of alternatives.
Considering cross-media impacts and the benefits of substituting chemicals
Reducing the use and release of toxic chemicals through the innovation of cleaner technologies that use safer chemicals.
Implementing pollution prevention, energy efficiency, and other resource conservation measures.
Making products that can be reused and recycled.
Monitoring the environmental impacts and costs associated with each product or process.
Recognizing that although change can be rapid, in many cases a cycle of evaluation and continuous improvement is needed.
Environmnetal studies aims in developing sustainable designs
Sustainable development in design for environment means Designs must meet the needs of the present population without compromising on the natural resources.
Few examples are
Green Space .Crop Rotation. Ecofriendly Design and Construction. Water Treatment. Waste to Energy Recycling
Green Space : An area of grass, trees, or other vegetation set apart for recreational or aesthetic purposes in an urban environment.
Crop Rotation : Crop rotation is the practice of planting different crops sequentially on the same plot of land to improve soil health, optimize nutrients in the soil.
Ecofriendly Construction Design: Any building can be a ecofriendly building, whether it’s a home, an office, a school, a hospital, a community center, or any other type of structure, provided it includes these features:
- Efficient use of energy, water and other resources.
- Use of renewable energy, such as solar energy.
- Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re-use and recycling.
- Good indoor environmental air quality.
- Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable.
Water Treatment : Water treatment is any process that improves the quality of water to make it appropriate for a specific end-use. The end use may be drinking, industrial water supply, irrigation or any other uses.
Waste to Energy Recycling : Energy recovery from waste is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification and landfill gas recovery. This process is often called waste to energy.
