3 Approaches to Environmental Studies

Abha Lakshmi Singh

   Structure

 

1.1 Introduction

 

1.2 Definition of Environmental Studies

 

1.3 Scope of Environmental Studies

 

1.4 Importance of Environmental Studies

 

1.5 Approaches to Environmental Studies

 

1.5.1  The Environmental Deterministic Approach

 

1.5.2  Teleological Approach

 

1.5.3  Possibilistic Approach

 

1.5.4  Economic Deterministic Approach

 

1.5.5 Regional Approach

 

1.5.6  Ecological Approach

 

1.5.7 Geographical Approach

 

 

Objectives:

 

At the end of this module the student should be able to:

 

Define What is Environmental study?

 

Explain nature and scope of environmental study

 

Have clear understanding about the importance of environmental studies

 

Explain different approaches to understand environmental studies

 

1.1 Introduction

 

The study of environment was always a burning theme in geography but during the period between 1950 and 1970 this branch of geography faced severe setback due to spatial sciences and location analysis and also because of the introduction of Quantitative Revolution in geography which promoted the use of statistical techniques in geography (Singh, 2006). But during the last two decades there has been a sudden increase in the activities giving more emphasis on the environmental education. This has resulted in the development of different kinds of extra curriculum out of school activities and literature. The purpose behind emphasising more on the environmental education is to regenerate man’s interest in preservation, conservation and improvement of the environment before it is too late and reaches the point of no return i.e., extinction or exhaustion. The term environment etymologically means surroundings. Literally it is an English word ( the word environment is derived from French word “Environ” which means “surrounding )formed by the combination of two words ‘environ’ and ‘ment’ which means ‘encircle’ or all around. Thus environment is a complex of many variables which surrounds man as well as all living organism. Any external force, substance or condition which surrounds or affects the life of organism in any way becomes the factor of its environment. The place where an organism lives is called habitat. It is also known as ‘milieu’ which means ‘total set of surroundings’ (Saxena, 2004).As far as the question of environmental studies in geography is concerned it is the interdisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment in the interests of solving complex problems. It is a broad field of study that also includes the natural environment, built-up environment, and the sets of relationships between them. The field encompasses study in basic principles of ecology and environmental science, as well as associated subjects such as ethics, policy, politics, law, economics, philosophy, environmental sociology and environmental justice, planning, pollution control and natural resource management.

 

1.2 Definition of Environmental Studies

 

Environmental study is the scientific study of all the components or factors that make or influence our life-supporting biophysical environment. As per some academicians, environmental science is a methodological study of the environment and includes the study of all biophysical as well as anthropogenic conditions or circumstances under which an organism lives (Prasad et al., 2015).Itis the study of the interactions between the physical, chemical, and biological components of the natural world, including their effects on all types of organisms and how humans impact their surroundings. Environment is everything that affects an organism during its lifetime. In turn, all organisms, including people, affect many components in their environment. From a human point of view, environmental issues involve concerns about science, nature, health, employment, profits, law, politics, ethics, fine arts, and economies. Therefore, environmental science is by its nature a multidisciplinary field. The science of Environment studies is a multi-disciplinary science because it comprises various branches of studies like chemistry, physics, medical science, life science, agriculture, public health, sanitary engineering etc. It is the science of physical phenomena in the environment (Singh, 2006).

 

Environmental study is defined as an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates various academic fields (particularly sciences) to study the structure and function of our life-supporting environment and to understand causes, effects, and solutions of different environmental problems.

 

1.3 Scope of Environmental Studies

 

The scope of environmental studies is vast and wide. Sky is its limit and ocean is its depth. What is not covered in environmental studies shall take years and years yet to think as how to cover. Studies reveal that during the past, few decades there has been fundamental change in the attitude of man towards environment. There was a time when environment meant only sanitation and health. Environmental studies teach us about deforestation and forest conservation. Environmental studies teach us about diversified ecologies. The scope of the environmental study is diverse dealing with the areas such as the geo-ecosystem or simply ecosystem as study unit, the functioning of ecosystem including circulation of energy and matter and ecosystem productivity, temporal changes in ecosystem : evolution of plants and animals; and ecological succession, spatial ecological changes; distribution and dispersal of plants and animals, global environmental problems, environmental hazards and disasters, man and environmental processes, environmental degradation and pollution and environmental management.

   1.4 Importance of Environmental Studies

 

Various combinations of words such as environmental education (EA), environmental study (ES) and environmental approach (EA) are being used in the literature in the context of environment and education. Although, according to semantics of the words, E.E., E.S and E.A. have different meanings in the strict sense of the terms, but one finds that these are being used many a time synonymously and interchangeably. The environment studies enlighten us, about the importance of protection and conservation of our indiscriminate release of pollution into the environment. At present a great number of environment issues, have grown in size and complexity day by day, threatening the survival of mankind on earth. We study about these issues besides and effective suggestions in the Environment Studies.

 

    Environment studies have become significant because of its international importance due to the environmental issues like global warming, greenhouse effect, ozone hole, acid rain, marine pollution and loss of biodiversity. Environmental studies are also necessary because of the problems arising out due to development and its phenomenon like urbanization, industrial growth, construction of expressways, subways and highways. The subject bears immense importance as it aims at saving the integrity of the life-supporting environment of earth, which is a unique planet that sustains life. Importance of this subject can be described in terms of the various objectives that it fulfils for saving the environment. Some of these objectives are that it guides us to know how our development and day to day activities affect the environment. The subject guides us how to create a pollution free environment by adopting different methods of prevention and control and it also guides us to create pollution free environment. It guides us to utilise our natural resources but in a judicious and sustainable manner. It guides common public to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.

 

1.5 Approaches to Environmental Studies

 

An approach is a way of getting closer. The study of relationships between man and environment has always been, in one way or another, a focal theme in environmental study. But the facets of man-environment relationship change through time with the development of human society and the dimension of environment. As the man became social, economic and technological he broadened his environment by creating his own environment through his designs and skills to have provision for better food, shelter, access and comfort.

 

The man-environment relationships, thus, can be perceived and evaluated in a variety of ways and approaches.

 

1.5.1The Environmental Deterministic Approach

 

Deterministic approach is one of the oldest approaches to study environment. According to this approach physical environment controls the course of human action. In other words, the belief that variation in human behaviour around the world can be explained by the differences in the natural environment is the crux of this man-environment relationship philosophy. The deterministic school of thought is of the opinion that the history, culture, living style and the stages of development of a social group or nation are largely governed and controlled by physical factors of the environment. This philosophy says that aspects of physical geography, particularly climate, influenced the psychological mind-set of individuals, which in turn defined the behavior and culture of the society that those individuals formed. For example, tropical climates were said to cause laziness, relaxed attitudes and promiscuity, while the frequent variability in the weather of the middle latitudes led to more determined and driven work ethics. This philosophy supports the idea that the highest achievement of civilizations like Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Indus-valley, disappeared because of the climatic change. It is also believed that the attack of central Asian nomads on other civilization is because of change in climate because it was climate change which resulted into the drying up of their pastures which forced them move in different direction during 13th century. Though this deterministic or environmentalist approach blossomed in the writings of E.C. Semple (1910) in the second decade of the 20th century but its seeds were already sown in the second half of the nineteenth century. In fact the publication of ‘The Origin of Species’ of Charles Darwin in 1859 laid the foundation stone of the concept of environmental influences on man and other organisms and even before that the seeds of determinism was found in the works of Aristotle, Strabo, Al-Masudi, Ibn-Khaldun, Carl Ritter, Alexander Von Humboldt, Ellsworth Huntington and Patrick Geddes. There is no doubt that environment influence man and man in turn influence his environment. This interaction between man and his environment is so intricate that it becomes almost impossible to find out that when one’s effect ceases and the other’s effect begins. Many landscapes that appear natural to us are in truth the work of man. Wheat, barley, olive, and wine, which dominate the Mediterranean countries, are entirely the products of human effort. Apple and almond orchards of Indian states e.g. Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Kumaun division of Uttarakhand are the creations of man. Many geographers in the United States, Britain, Canada and other countries drew attention to the one-sided approach adopted by the environmentalists in their interpretation of historical reality, to their exaggeration of nature’s active role and to the fact that they only acknowledge man as capable of passive attempts at adaptation. Actions of man reveal many facts for which environmental forces alone can give no satisfactory explanation.Spate criticized the fanatic approach of environmental determinists. He, for example, states that “environment taken by it is a meaningless phrase; without man environment does not exist”. Equally important is his indication of the need to consider the psycho-physiological influence of the geographical environment via the social structure. In the final analysis, Spate concluded that geographical environment is only one of the factors of territorial differentiation and “it acts through society; cultural tradition has a certain autonomous influence”. The environmentalist movement started in the 1960s has however, shown quite distinctly that there is an overall limit to certain kinds of human economic activity in terms of biophysical persistence and resilience of the planet’s systems.

 

In brief, at the very largest scale we can be determinists, whereas at the more local scales we can see the virtue of Possibilism or cultural and social determinism.

 

1.5.2 TeleologicalApproach

 

Teachings of Judeo Christian religious tradition promulgated the superiority of man to nature and all other creation and that everything is created for his/her use and enjoyment. This idea fostered an inconsiderate exploitation by man of his natural environment. Environment today holds this religious tradition responsible for the environmental crisis. Teleological approach is based on religious faith of man being superior to nature and all other creatures. This approach to environmental studies (man-environment relationship) led to excessive and rapid rate of exploitation of natural resources in North America and Western Europe as well as in other parts of the world which were their colonies. A host of scientists and environmentalists have held this religious tradition responsible for present-day ecological crisis. This approach of man towards nature and environment stimulated Europeans to spread all over the world in search of unexplored land and resources. Consequently numerous colonies were established in all of the inhabited continents. After 1750, there began a race for rapacious exploitation of natural resources and widespread industrialization in Europe and America. The process continued for the last three centuries and created most of the present-day environmental problems.

 

1.5.3Possibilistic Approach

 

Possibilistic Approach to environmental studies was born in the beginning of 20th century. The concept of determinism which was conservative cannot be accepted by a society which is civilised and advanced. The reason behind this is that man with the help of technological development has modified the nature for example he has created canals for making the water available in the extreme desert areas for making it suitable for living. The concept of Possibilism says that nature provide a number of opportunities and possibilities from among which man is free to select or choose. The philosophy states that man with the help of his mind and will changes the influence of nature on him. The philosophy of Possibilism attempts to explain the man and environment relationship in different way taking man as an active agent. The philosophy further states that nature provides opportunities and the number of opportunities increases as the knowledge and technology of a cultural group increases. The hypothesis of Possibilism was put forwarded by Lucian Febvre who is of the opinion that man is the most powerful agent who modifies the terrestrial surface of the earth. Lucian said that ‘there are no necessities but everywhere possibilities’ for example man invented iron and it was up to him that how he make the use of that iron. It was up to him whether he uses the iron for making hammer or a bicycle, a car, a ship or a plane it depends on his technological development. So the example proves that there are possibilities everywhere but there are no necessities. Prior to the invention of iron though there was no necessity for a plane ship or a car but possibilities were still there. Vidal de Lablache further advocated and preached the philosophy of Possibilism. In his work he has minimised the influence of environment on man. He tries to explain the differences between groups living in the same environmental condition. He said that the differences are not because of the natural environmental condition but due to the variation in the attitude values and habits of man. The possibilistic school of thought tries to explain the differences in human society on the basis of man himself bringing the changes and influencing the environment and it is not only the nature solely responsible for bringing the changes or differences in human society. After Vidal de Lablache it was Jean Brunheswho became strong supporter of Possibilism in France. Sauer, another supporter of Possibilism said that it is the work of a geographer that he should investigate and understand that how a natural landscape transforms into a cultural landscape. From such work the geographer will be able to identify the major changes in that particular area that has resulted because of succession of human groups. For example wheat does not have high yield where it was first domesticated (south-west Asia) but in America, Europe and some of the Asian countries. Thus after the Second World War the philosophy of environmentalism was attacked. Many geographers in Britain, Canada and USA said that explanation of phenomena only on the basis of nature and its forces is incomplete and unsatisfactory until and unless man is included into it.

 

1.5.4 Economic deterministic Approach

 

This approach is based on the basic ideology of the man’s mastery over environment and continued economic and industrial expansion through the application of modern technologies. Economy decides the fate of man’s interaction with environment. This approach suggests an economic growth is essential for political, social and economic stability, the quality of environment normally assumes lower priority in planning. This approach based itself on two assumptions firstly; positive correlation between the population of a green region and the level of economic development secondly; the interaction of people resources and society are governed by universal economic principles.

   

1.5.5 Regional Approach

 

What is defined is the region in contemporary terms, primarily as an object of study for political and economic issues within human geography. In fact, the concept of region itself can be considered as having been born very much earlier within the discipline of geography. Regional geography finds its origins in the 19th century, influenced by Darwin’s work (Origin of Species, published in 1859), which broke the links between geography and natural theology and caused rejection of geographical work based on teleological approaches, laying the groundwork for new ways of conceptualisingthe relationship between people and their environment, and heightening interest in the region as a subject for geographical enquiry. Regional approaches, initially very much influenced by environmental determinism, slowly moved within geographical studies in other directions, allowing for the study of the interaction between people and the environment without seeing causal links between the two, and offering human geographers a clear and well-defined object of study, having as key themes the concept of region and the interaction between peoples and environments in this way radically changing the discipline.

 

1.5.6 Ecological Approach

 

Ecological approach of environmental studies is based on the basic concept of ecology. Ecology is a study of mutual interactions between organisms and physical environment on one hand and interactions among organism in a given ecosystem. This approach suggests man as an individual part of the ecosystem and his action should be symbiotic and not exploitative nor suppressive. C.C. Park, the advocate of this approach says the relationship between man and environment is two directional as the environment affects and influences man in turn man also influences and modifies the environment. This relation is mutual and symbiotic. All these approaches into studying man-environment relationship have gained importance from time to time and from place to place. Hence an historical analysis of the issue becomes, important for the understanding of this project problematic. This school recognizes man, being most skilled and intelligent, as the leader of all biota of the earth. This approach further lays emphasis on wise and restrained use of natural resources, application of appropriate environmental management programmers, policies and strategies keeping in view the ecological principles so that already depleted natural resources are replenished (wherever possible), degraded environment is set right and ecological balance is maintained.

 

1.5.7 Geographical Approach

 

The Geographic Approach in environmental study refers to using geographic science supported by GIS as a framework for understanding our world and applying geographic knowledge to solve problems and guide human behaviour. Geography is the science of our world, describing the physical and cultural patterns and processes of our planet. This science provides humans with awareness of what’s going on, predictions of what may happen, and systematic information for planning and decision making. Geography helps us to better understand various spatial phenomena and their interrelationships, for example the relationships between land use change, surficial hydrology, flooding, biodiversity, etc. These understandings are helping the society to become more conscious and aware of the interrelatedness of our world and how our cumulative behaviour is affecting the evolution of the planet. Today GIS is extending the power of geography by providing digital tools that abstract and organize geospatial data, model geographic processes, and visualize these data and models with advanced computer techniques. GIS is helping us apply geographic knowledge to ledge a host of problems, ranging from organizational inefficiencies to supporting location decisions that require examining many geographic factors. For example, when selecting the route for a new highway, GIS and the geographic approach can be used to consider the physical and human factors that should guide its layout and design: the environment, existing land use, terrain, and social impacts, as well as engineering constraints and costs. Considering all these factors can be over whelming, particularly when trying to make complex trade-offs. This is where the use of GIS is particularly valuable.

 

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