Environment Sustainability and Climate Change PDF

Environment Sustainability and Climate Change Dr. Sunita Varjani, PhD, FSAB Sr. Associate Professor, School of Engineering Jointly with SoHST Cabin 3, Block B, 2nd Floor, Hubble UPES, Dehradun, India Adjunct Professor: Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Contact: +91-99098286...

Environment Sustainability and Climate Change Dr. Sunita Varjani, PhD, FSAB Sr. Associate Professor, School of Engineering Jointly with SoHST Cabin 3, Block B, 2nd Floor, Hubble UPES, Dehradun, India Adjunct Professor: Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Contact: +91-9909828684 (Mobile); 0135-2770137 (Ext: 1321) (Office) Highly Cited Researcher 2022 (Top 1% in the world), Clarivate’s Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (Top 2% in the World), Stanford University and © 2024 UPES Elsevier Citation Report (2020-Continue)  Achievements and Highlights- Sunita Varjani Research Areas Sunita Varjani Sr. Associate Professor Industrial & Environmental Biotechnology, Waste Management; Wastewater Treatment & Process School of Engineering Jointly with School of Health Science & Technology Engineering, Bioprocess Technology Keywords: Bioremediation; Biosurfactants; Municipal Solid waste; Resource recovery from wastes; Heavy metals Publications Professional Experiences Books: 15 (Elsevier & Springer) Sr. Associate Professor, UPES (Feb 2024 to Continue) Guest editor of special issue(s) of journals: 15 Adjunct Professor, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea (May 2024 to Original research and review papers: 284 continue) Book chapters: 65 Director, Institute of Chartered Waste Managers (January 2023 to Continue) International Conferences communications: 80 Visiting Fellow, City University of Hong Kong (Feb 2023 to January 2024) National Conferences communications: 17 Adjunct Professor, UPES (March 2023 to Jan 2024) Google Scholar Citation: 22116; h-index: 75 (As on 06.08.2024) Visiting Scientist, EPFL, Switzerland (Nov 2017) https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=FAnYJo0AAAAJ&hl=en Scientific Officer, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (Aug 2015 to January 2023) Member, Editorial/Advisory Board Executive Editor: Archives of Microbiology (IF:2.8) Senior Editor: Sustainable Environment (IF: 2.3) Editor: Indian Journal of Microbiology (IF: 3.0) Editorial Board Member: Current Pollution Reports (IF: 8.097) Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy (IF: 6.0) Membership in Professional Societies: 08 The National Academy of Sciences, Selected in the Year 2021 for Biological Sciences Executive Committee Member: International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (2021-2022, 2023-2024) Management Council Member: The Biotech Research Society, India (2019-2023) Member, Review/Advisory/Scientific Committees/ Boards/ Session Chair: 39  Achievements and Highlights- Sunita Varjani Weblinks Profile: https://www.sunitavarjani-puro.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sunita-varjani-86295727/ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sunita-Varjani-2 UPES: https://www.upes.ac.in/faculty/school-of-advanced-engineering/sustainability/dr-sunita- varjani https://www.upes.ac.in/faculty/school-of-health-sciences-and-technology/dr-sunita-varjani CityU Scholars: https://scholars.cityu.edu.hk/en/persons/sunita-varjani(f3620dfe-189e-4f07-9e35- fa31263f1455).html Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56641777600 Web of Science: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/A-1069-2014 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sunita-varjani-86295727/ Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=FAnYJo0AAAAJ&hl=en ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6966-7768 ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sunita-Varjani-2 Research.com: https://research.com/u/sunita-varjani  Achievements and Highlights- Sunita Varjani Awards/Honours/Distinctions Leadership Awards: “Environmental Sciences Leader Award 2024”, research.com (ranked #10 in India and #2192) (https://research.com/scientists- rankings/environmental-sciences/in) “Rising Star of Science Award 2023” research.com (https://research.com/scientists-rankings/rising-stars/in) Young Scientist Awards: CDC India Ashok Pandey Research Excellence Award - 2023, The Biotech Research Society, India Young Scientist Award (Environmental Biotechnology and Waste Biorefinery) - 2019-20, International Bioprocessing Association (IBA-IFIBiop) Young Scientist Award (Environmental Biotechnology) - 2018, The Biotech Research Society, India Young Scientist Award 2018-19, Microbiologist’s Society India Young Scientist Award - 2018, Association of Microbiologists of India Young Scientist Award - 2018, International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability Awards and Distinctions from Journals and Institutes: Highly Cited Researcher (Top 2% in the World), Elsevier Citation Report (2020-2023) “Highly Cited Researcher 2022” list published by Clarivate’s Web of Science (Highly Cited Researchers are 1 in 1,000) Bioengineered, Taylor & Francis award for Most cited paper: A critical review on advances in the practices and perspectives for the treatment of dye industry wastewater (2022) Corresponding author of the paper Journal of Environmental Management, Elsevier award for Most Downloaded article: Conversion of food and kitchen waste to value-added products (2022) Co-author of the paper Highly Cited Researcher (Top 2% in the World), Elsevier Citation Report (2021) (Rank: 8571 out of 190063) Bioresource Technology, Elsevier award for Most Downloaded and Cited article: Microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons (2019) Bioresource Technology, Elsevier award for Most Cited article: Critical review on biosurfactant analysis, purification and characterization using rhamnolipid as a model biosurfactant, (2019) Best Paper Awards in national and international conferences in 2008, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Certificate of Appreciation - 2017, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland COURSE OUTCOMES On completion of this course, the students will be able to CO1: Recall and acquire the knowledge in those aspects of environmental science and ecology that are particularly valuable to bright young student, CO2: Fostering the development of analytical and technical skills in the environment, promoting a sense of responsibility and helping students deal effectively with ambiguity and disagreement about environment issues. CO3: Understand fundamental knowledge of various aspects of pollution and to motivate to adopt ecofriendly technologies to facilitate conservation and regeneration of natural resource. CO4: Create a pro-environmental attitude and behavioral pattern in the student that is based creating sustainable life styles. Reference& Text Books 1. Text Book of Environmental Studies (Erach Bharucha), UGC, New Delhi 2. Principles of Environmental Science & R.Pannir Selvam, SPGS, Chennai-600 088 Engineering. 3. Encyclopedia of Ecology, Environment, Swaroop. R,Mishra, S.N. Mitlal, New Delhi Jauri, V.P. 4. Environmental Concerns, Saigo & Cunningham 5. Air Pollution by M. N. Rao 6. Environmental Studies: Kaur.H, Pragati Prakashan, Meerut  Examination and Grading Mid Examination Weightage: 20% , Internal Assessment Weightage: 50 % End Semester Examination: 30 % Mid and End Sem Exam : MCQ Online Proctor Mode in Classroom July 2024  Unit I Humans and the Environment © 2024 UPES Environment Environment means anything which surrounds us. The word ‘environment’ comes from French word ‘environ’, which means encircle or surrounds Environment is the sum total of water, air and land and the interrelationships that exist among them and with the human beings ,other living organisms and materials July 2024 Environment Component : Biotic & Abiotic ❖ Biotic: Living Organism -Plants and animal ❖Abiotic: Non Living-Soil, water, air, temperature, humidity, wind July 2024 Environment consists of four segments (Contd…) July 2024 Environment consists of four segments (Contd..) 1) Atmosphere is blanket of gases and suspended liquids and solid that entirely envelop the earth , extend upto several thousand km. Layers of atmosphere Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere July 2024  Thermosphere Starts just above mesosphere It extends upto 600 km high Temp increases with altitude due to sun energy. Thermosphere is subdivided into 2 layers ionosphere and exosphere Stratosphere &stratopause, Mesosphere & mesopause are middle layer of the atmosphere Mesosphere Starts just above stratosphere It extends upto 85km Temperature again decreases as altitude increases Meteorites burns and disintegrates here Mesopause separates mesosphere from thermosphere Stratosphere Starts just above troposphere It extends upto 50 km Here atmosphere is dry and dense Temperature increases due to absorption of u.v.radiation Ozone layer is present here Strato pause separates stratosphere from mesosphere. Troposphere Starts from earth and extend across 18 km Lowest part of atmosphere Dense atmosphere As altitude increases temperature decreases All weather change took place here Clouds are formed here Tropopause separates troposphere from stratosphere July 2024 Environment consists of four segments (Contd..) 2) Hydrosphere: The hydrosphere consist of oceans, seas, river, streams, glaciers, lake, reservoirs, polar icecaps. July 2024 Environment consists of four segments (Contd..) 3) Lithosphere is the top crust of the earth on which continent and ocean basin rest. It is soil mantle (that wraps the core of the earth) in which all the biological activities take place. July 2024 Environment consists of four segments (Contd..) 4) Biosphere is composed of all living organisms and their interactions with the environment July 2024 Multidisciplinary Nature of Environmental Studies (Contd….) July 2024 July 2024 OBJECTIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Awareness: acquire sensitivity to the total environment and its allied problems. To create an overall understanding of the impacts and effects of behaviors and lifestyles - on both the local and global environments, and on the short-term and long-term Skill: acquire skills for identifying environmental problems. To help individuals, groups and societies acquire the action competence or skills of environmental citizenship - in order to be able to identify and anticipate environmental problems and work with others to resolve, minimize and prevent them July 2024 Knowledge: To know conservation of natural resources. To help individuals, groups and societies gain a variety of experiences in, and a basic understanding of, the knowledge and action competencies required for sustainable development Evaluation ability: to evaluate environmental measures and education programmes in terms of social, economic, ecological and aesthetic factors. July 2024 Values: to help individuals, groups and societies acquire feelings of concern for issues of sustainability as well as a set of values upon which they can make judgments about appropriate ways of acting individually and with others to promote sustainable development Participation: to provide individuals, groups and societies with opportunities to be actively involved in exercising their skills of environmental citizenship and be actively involved at all levels in working towards sustainable development. July 2024 July 2024 July 2024 Important Dates in Calendar July 2024 Inter-relationships © 2024 UPES  WORLD COMMISSION (Brut Land Commissions) has given the definition “Sustainable development is the development that meets the need of present without compromising the ability of future generation to meets their own need” July 2024 ▪ The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, - Adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. - At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. - They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in- hand with strategies that - improve health and education - reduce inequality, and spur economic growth - all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. July 2024 Watch Video on Word Sustainable Development Summit 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PxjBiobZNo&t=13s © 2024 UPES CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ▪ It implies natural resource management that is economically viable in short run and environmentally sustainable in long run. ▪ It emphasize on optimum management of land and water resources so as to maintain a balance between productivity function & conservation practices through identification of problem area that require alternate management practices. July 2024 Principal of sustainability (Principal of Equity) The principal of intra-generation equity Use of natural resources in such a way to reduce the wealth gap within and between the nation. The principal of intergeneration equity Minimize the adverse impact of utilization of natural resources on future generation We should - Reduce the pollution - Maintain ecological balance July 2024 Objective of Sustainable Developments ▪ Concern for future generation ▪ Protection of environment ▪ Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth ▪ Rational utilization of natural resources. ▪ Social progress that recognizes the needs of everyone. July 2024  Replace fossil fuels Stop deforestation with renewable and plant trees energy and fuels Remove poverty and Reduce, hunger Recycle, Reuse Ideas for Solving Conserve Protect wildlife Unsustainability water and habitats Stop Enforce corruption pollution Change the government! and crime control July 2024 Sustainable Development Goals ( 17 Goals) (SDGs set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 July 2024 ✓The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (or the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, The 17 Global Goals, the Global Goals or simply the Goals) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". ✓That has been shortened to "2030 Agenda". July 2024 Achieving all 169 targets would signal accomplishing all 17 goals. The SDGs cover social and economic development issues including Poverty, Hunger, Health. Education, Global Warming, Gender Equality, Water, Sanitation, Energy, Urbanization, Environment and Social Justice July 2024 Goal 1: No Poverty ▪ "End poverty in all its forms everywhere." ▪ Extreme poverty has been cut by more than half since 1990. ▪ Still, more than 1 in 5 people live on less than the target figure of US$1.25 per day. ▪ People live in poverty if they lack basic services such as healthcare, security, and education. ▪ They also experience hunger, social discrimination, and exclusion from decision- making processes. ▪ In 2013, an estimated 385 million children lived on less than US$1.90 per day July 2024 Goal 2: Zero hunger ▪ "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture". ▪ Goal 2 states that by 2030 we should end hunger and all forms of malnutrition. ▪ This would be accomplished by doubling agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers (especially women and indigenous peoples), by ensuring sustainable food production systems, and by progressively improving land and soil quality. ▪ Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40% of the global population. July 2024 ▪ It is the largest source of income for poor rural households. ▪ Women make up about 43% of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, and over 50% in parts of Asia and Africa. ▪ Women own only 20% of the land. ▪ Other targets deal with maintaining genetic diversity of seeds - increasing access to land - preventing trade restriction and distortions in world agricultural markets to limit extreme food price volatility - eliminating waste with help from the International Food Waste Coalition - and ending malnutrition and undernutrition of children July 2024 Goal 3: Good health and well-being for people ▪ "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." ▪ Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality. Between 2000 and 2016, the worldwide under-five mortality rate decreased by 47 percent (from 78 deaths per 1,000 live births to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births). Still, the number of children dying under age five is extremely high: 5.6 million in 2016 alone.Newborns account for a growing number of these deaths, and poorer children are at the greatest risk of under-5 mortality due to a number of factors. July 2024 Goal 4: Quality Education ▪ Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all." ▪ Major progress has been made in access to education, specifically at the primary school level, for both boys and girls. Still, at least 22 million children in 43 countries will miss out on pre-primary education unless the rate of progress doubles. ▪ Access does not always mean quality of education or completion of primary school. 103 million youth worldwide still lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 percent of those are women. July 2024 Goal 5: Gender Equality ▪ "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls." ▪ According to the UN, "gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world."Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will nurture sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large July 2024 Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation ▪ Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." ▪ Main article: Sustainable Development Goal 6 ▪ The Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 (SDG6) has eight targets and 11 indicators that will be used to monitor progress toward the targets. Most are to be achieved by the year 2030. One is targeted for 2020. ▪ The first three targets relate to drinking water supply and sanitation.Worldwide, 6 out of 10 people lack safely managed sanitation services, and 3 out of 10 lack safely managed water services. Safe drinking water and hygienic toilets protect people from disease and enable societies to be more productive economically. July 2024 Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy ▪ "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.” Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth ▪ "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all." For the least developed countries, the economic target is to attain at least a 7 percent annual growth in gross domestic product (GDP). Achieving higher productivity will require diversification and upgraded technology along with innovation, entrepreneurship, and the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) July 2024 Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure ▪ "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation”. Goal 10: Reducing inequalities ▪ "Reduce income inequality within and among countries." ▪ One target is to reduce the cost of exporting goods from least developed countries. "Duty-free treatment" has expanded. As of 2015, 65 percent of products coming from the least developed countries were duty-free, as compared to 41 percent in 2005. Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities ▪ "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable." ▪ The target for 2030 is to ensure access to safe and affordable housing July 2024 Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production ▪ "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns." ▪ Further information: Sustainable products ▪ The targets of Goal 12 include using eco-friendly production methods and reducing the amount of waste. By 2030, national recycling rates should increase, as measured in tons of material recycled. Further, companies should adopt sustainable practices and publish sustainability reports. Goal 13: Climate action ▪ "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy." ▪ The UN discussions and negotiations identified the links between the post-2015 SDG process and the Financing for Development process that concluded in Addis Ababa in July 2015 and the COP 21 Climate Change conference in Paris in December 2015. July 2024 Goal 14: Life below water ▪ "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development." ▪ Oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface. They are essential for making the planet livable. Rainwater, drinking water and climate are all regulated by ocean temperatures and currents. Over 3 billion people depend on marine life for their livelihood. Oceans absorb 30 percent of all carbon dioxide produced by humans. Goal 15: Life on land ▪ "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss." July 2024 Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions ▪ "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels." ▪ Reducing violent crime, sex trafficking, forced labor, and child abuse are clear global goals. Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals ▪ "Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.“ ▪ Developing multi-stakeholder partnerships to share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial support is seen as critical to overall success of the SDGs. Public-private partnerships that involve civil societies are specifically mentioned July 2024 Three Pillars of Sustainability July 2024 CORE IDEA OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ▪ It is a very complicated task to try and balance all three strands, but Sustainable solutions can only be achieved if these 3 elements are balanced… July 2024 The “ecological footprint” ▪ The environmental impact of a person or population ✓ Amount of biologically productive land + water ✓ For resources and to dispose/recycle waste ▪ Overshoot: humans have surpassed the Earth’s capacity to support us We are using 30% more of the planet’s resources than is available on a sustainable basis! July 2024  Ecological footprints are not all equal July 2024 Problem of Unsustainability Social crisis: o War, oppression, terrorism, corruption: motivated by control over resources o Growing slums, degrading morality, broken families, o Basic needs: food, clothing and shelter—the very motivation for development—have not been satisfied. o Poverty and hunger. Individual crisis o Serious health problems: Cancers, heart disease, AIDS, infectious diseases, birth defects, anxiety, stress… July 2024 Institutions in Environment July 2024 World Wide Fund for Nature- India (WWF-I), New Delhi Initiated in 1969 in Mumbai and then moved to New Delhi with several branch offices all over India. Wildlife education and awareness. Organizes nature clubs of India program for children. Works as think tank and lobby force for environment and development issue July 2024 Center for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi Organizing campaigns, holding workshops/conferences and producing environment related publications are some of its activities. It published ‘State of India’s Environment’, the first of its kind to be produced as a Citizen’s Report on the Environment. It publishes popular magazine ‘DOWN TO EARTH’ a Science and Environment fortnightly. It is also involved in publication of material in the form of books, posters, video films and also conducts workshops and seminars on biodiversity related issues. July 2024 CPR Environmental Education Centre, Madras CPR EEC was set up in 1988 Conducts variety of programs to spread environmental awareness and creates an interest in conservation among the general public It focusses attention on NGOs, teachers, women, youth and children to generally promote conservation of nature and natural resources Its programs include components on wildlife and biodiversity issues It also produces a large number of publications July 2024 Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad It was initiated in 1989 It has wide range of programs on the environment and produces a variety of educational material CEE’s training in Environment Education (TEE) program has trained many environment educators July 2024 Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research (BVIEER), Pune This institute is a part of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University and has a Ph.D, Masters and Bachelors program in Environmental Sciences. Also offers an innovative Diploma in Environment Education for in-service teachers. It implements a large outreach programme that has covered over 135 schools in which it trains teachers and conducts fortnightly Environment Education Programs. Biodiversity Conservation is a major focus of its research initiatives. July 2024  It develops low cost Interpretation Centres for Natural and Architectural sites that are highly locale specific as well as a large amount of innovative environment educational material for a variety of target groups. Its unique feature is that it conducts environment education from primary school level to the post graduate level. It has produced several EE aids, developed a teacher’s handbook linked to school curriculum, a textbook for UGC for its undergraduate course on environment. Its director has developed a CD ROM on India’s biodiversity published by Mapin Publishers, Ahmedabad July 2024 Uttarkhand Seva Nidhi (UKSN), Almora A Nodal Agency and supports NGOs in need of funds for their environment related activities. Major program is organising and training school teachers to use its locale specific Environment Education Workbook Program. The main targets are linked with sustainable resource use at the village level through training school children. Its environment education program covers about 500 schools. July 2024  Kalpavriksh, Pune It is an NGO and works on variety of fronts: education and awareness; investigation and research; direct action and lobbying; and litigation with regard to environment and development issues Its activities include talks and audio-visuals in schools and colleges, nature walks and outstation camps, organizing student participation in ongoing campaigns including street demonstrations, pushing for consumer awareness regarding organic food, press statements, handling green alerts, and meetings with the city’s administrators It is involved with the preparation of site-specific, environmental manuals for school teachers Kalpavriksh was responsible for developing India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in 2003 July 2024 Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore Dr. Salim Ali wished to support a group of committed conservation scientists on permanent basis and that dream became a reality only after his demise It is an independent organization and is based at Coimbatore since 1990 It has instituted a variety of field programs that have added to the country’s information on our threatened biodiversity. July 2024 Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun This institution was established in 1982 as a major training establishment for Forest Officials and Research in in Wildlife Management. Its most significant publication has been ‘Planning A Wildlife Protected Area Network for India’ (Rodgers and Panwar, 1988). The organisation has over the years added an enormous amount of information on India’s biological wealth. It has trained a large number of Forest Department Officials and Staff as Wildlife Managers Its M.Sc. Program has trained excellent wildlife scientists. It also has an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) cell It trains personnel in eco development, wildlife biology, habitat management and Nature interpretation July 2024 Botanical Survey of India (BSI) It was established in1890 at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta However it was closed for several years after 1939 and was reopened in 1954 It carries out surveys of plant resources in different regions. July 2024 Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) It was established in 1916 Its mandate was to do a systematic survey of fauna in India It has over the years collected ‘type specimens’ on the bases of which our animal life has been studied over the years. Its origins were collections based at the Indian Museum at Calcutta, which was established in 1875 Older collections of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, which were made between 1814 and 1875, as well as those of the Indian Museum made between 1875 and 1916 were then transferred to the ZSI Today it has over a million species!. This makes it one of the largest collections in Asia It has done an enormous amount of work on taxonomy and ecology. July 2024  People in Environment Individuals who have been instrumental in shaping the environmental history in our country:- Salim Ali – He has written several great books including the famous ‘Book of Indian Birds’. – His autobiography, ‘Fall of a Sparrow’ should be read by every nature enthusiast. – He was our country’s leading conservation scientist and influenced environmental policies in our country for over 50 years. July 2024  Indira Gandhi – As a PM, she has played a highly significant role in the preservation of India’s wild life. – It was during her period as a PM, that the network of protected areas (Pas) grew from 65 to 298!. – The Wildlife Protection Act was formulated during the period when she was PM and the Indian Board for Wildlife was extremely active as she personally chaired all its meetings. – India gained a name for itself by being a major player in CITES and other International Environmental Treaties and Accords during her tenure. July 2024  SP Godrej – One of India’s greatest supporters of wildlife conservation and nature awareness programs. – He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1999 and several other awards between 1975 and 1999 MS Swaminathan – One of India’s foremost agricultural scientists and has also been concerned with various aspects of biodiversity conservation both of cultivars and wild biodiversity. – Founder of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai, which does work on the conservation of biological diversity. July 2024  Madhav Gadgil – A well known ecologist in India. – His interests range from broad ecological issues such as developing Community Biodiversity Registers and conserving sacred groves to studies on the behavior of mammals, birds and insects. Anil Agarwal – He was a journalist who wrote the first report on the ‘State of India’s Environment’ in 1982. – He founded the Center for Science and Environment which is an active NGO that supports various environmental issues. July 2024  MC Mehta – India’s most famous environmental lawyer. – Since 1984, he has filed several Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for supporting the cause of environmental conservation. – Protecting the Taj Mahal, cleaning up the Ganges River, banning intensive shrimp farming on the coast, initiating Government to implement environmental education in schools and colleges, and a variety of other conservation issues. July 2024  Medha Patkar – She is known as one of India’s Champions who has supported the cause of downtrodden tribal people whose environment is being affected by the dams on the Narmada river. Sunderlal Bahuguna – His Chipko Movement has become an internationally well- known example of a highly successful conservation action program through the efforts of local people for guarding their forest resources. – His fight to prevent the construction of the Tehri Dam in a fragile earthquake prone setting is a battle the he continues to wage. – The Garhwal Hills will always remember his dedication to the cause for which he has walked over 20 thousand kilometers. July 2024 Internationally known environmental thinkers who have made landmarks and whose names are frequently mentioned are:- Charles Darwin – Author of “Origin of Species” which brought to light the close relationship between habitats and species. – It also brought about a new thinking of man’s relationship with other species that was based on evolution. – Alfred Wallace came to the same conclusions during his work. Henry Thoreau – In 1860, he wrote that the wilderness should be preserved after he lived in the wild for a year. – He felt that most people did not care for nature and would sell it off for a small sum of money. July 2024  Ralph Emerson – He spoke of the dangers of commerce to our environment way back in the 1840s. John Muir – He is remembered as having saved the great ancient sequoia trees in California’s forests. – In the 1890s he formed the Sierra club, which is a major conservation NGO in the USA. Aldo Leopold – He was a forest official in the US in the 1920s. – He designed the early policies on wilderness conservation and wildlife management. July 2024  Rachel Carson – In the 1960s Rachel Carson published several articles that caused immediate worldwide concern on the effects of pesticide on nature and mankind. – She wrote a well-known book called ‘Silent Spring’ which eventually led to a change in Government policy and public awareness. EO Wilson – An entomologist who envisioned that biological diversity was a key to human survival on earth – He wrote ‘Diversity of Life’ in 1993, which was awarded a prize for the best book published on environmental issues – His writings brought home to the world the risks to mankind due to man made disturbances in natural ecosystems that are leading to the rapid extinction of species at the global level. July 2024 International Efforts for Protecting & Improving the Environment Treaties and Convention for the for the improvement and protection of the environment Montreal Protocol Kyoto Protocol Paris Agreement Kyiv Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer 1985 Aarhus Convention July 2024 1. Montreal Protocol for Protection of Ozone Layer It was finalized in the year 1987 and adopted on 15 September 1987. It is a multilateral environmental agreement, and this protocol is the only UN treaty ever up to date which was initially approved by only 46 countries but now it is ratified by all 197 UN member countries/states. This protocol regulates the production and consumption of man-made chemicals which can deIndia became the signatory member of this treaty on 19th June 1992. On 15th October 2016, parties plete the ozone layer. of the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali amendment to curtail the consumption and production of the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Countries have agreed to add HFCs to the list of controlled substances. The Kigali Amendment came into force on 1 January 2019 for those countries that have confirmed to this amendment. July 2024  2. Kyoto Protocol for Controlling Second commitment of Kyoto Protocol (2013-2020) and first commitment from (2005 to 2012) The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which commits its Annex B-Parties (the countries which have adopted the targets to reduce the greenhouse emissions) with legally binding emission reduction commitments. Whereas, in Annex A- six grKyoto Protocol is applied the six greenhouse gases are there where the greenhouse gases are applied:- Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). July 2024 Paris Agreement It is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) focuses on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. It is replaced by its predecessor, the Kyoto protocol which is also the international treaty for similar purposes and its second commitment expires this year i.e. 2020. The Paris Agreement came into force on 4th November 2016 and has been signed by 197 countries and as of November 2019- 187 countries have confirmed. India has also given its consent to this agreement. In the whole world, India stands at third major contributor of green house gas after China and the US according to May 2019. July 2024 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer 1985 Initially, this convention was agreed in 1985 and it came into force on 22 September 1988. Montreal protocol comes under this convention. This convention was formed with a purpose to globally monitor and report on the ozone depletion. The Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol are the first and the only global environmental treaties to obtain universal acceptance, with 197 member countries. The Vienna Convention does not include any goals which are legally binding on the countries. July 2024 Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous waste and their disposal 1989 Commonly it is known as the Basel Convention. The Basel Convention was adopted in March 1989 in Basel, Switzerland, and came into force in 1992 and 187 parties are members of this convention till October 2018. It is an international treaty which formulated plans against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes in order to protect human health and the environment. India ratified to this convention and included some of the provisions from this convention in its Act i.e the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules of 2016. July 2024  Minamata Convention on Mercury This convention is a global treaty and entered into force on 16 August 2017 and as of 1st March 2019- a total of 105 parties (includes India also) have ratified to this convention. The objective of this convention is to protect humans and the environment from the dangerous effects of the mercury. In Japan, there is a city named Minamata where the local communities got poisoned by contaminated mercury industrial wastewater at the end of the year 1950 and suffered untreatable and disabled effects. So the convention is named after this town. July 2024  Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992 (CBD) This convention provides a legally binding framework which came into force in 1993 with a purpose to conserve the biodiversity and use biodiversity feasibly. The main objective of this convention is to encourage those actions which will lead to a sustainable or viable future. The governing body of this convention is the Conference of the Parties (COP). India giving effect to the provision of this convention enacted the Biological Diversity Act in 2002 which also provides a framework in order to tackle the issues related to biodiversity. Following this convention, India has taken part in many conventions which are related to conserving biodiversity. July 2024  Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) This convention is an international agreement between the countries and entered into force in 1975 which aims to protect wildlife from over-exploitation due to international trade. Basically under this agreement, the government regulates the traded wildlife and its products that it does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild, for example, leather goods, animals, food etc. July 2024 Thank You July 2024