Environmental Education

Biomagnification

Posted by Tulip Das on March 03, 2011

 
Forum Post

Pollutants (or materials) in the environment are broadly of two types- a. biodegradable ones and b. Non- biodegradable ones. Biodegradables are subjected to microbial decomposition and thus with no or minimum persistence time in environment, and accordingly follow the regular cyclic material flow. While non-biodegradables are not decomposed by microbes. They have thus long persistent in environment, and are introduced in the biotic organisms along with nutrients food-stuff. They are neither metabolized nor excreted, but retained in unaltered state in higher concentration in organisms of higher trophic levels in the food-chain of an ecosystem. Thus they lead to irreversible disease and death of the organisms and misbalancing the ecosystem.

 

The process where the stable and persistent non-biodegradable pollutants (matters/ chemicals) are accumulated in tissues of biological organisms in a concentration that is much higher than its environmental concentration, which usually causes irreversible disease and death of organisms, ultimately lead to ecological imbalance is known as biomagnification.

 

Causes- Usually stable and non-biodegradable pollutants are lipophilic in nature, means they have the attraction towards lipid. For this lipophilic character, they are partitioned from surrounding water into the lipid or adipose tissues of organisms. Examples are DDT, PCBs (Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls), salts of heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium etc.) and so on.

Tulip Das.

Environmental Education

Education for Sustainability

Posted by Susan Sharma on August 20, 2009

 
Forum Post
The talk given by Mr.Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for HRD on 29th July 2009 at Teen Murti house, was really `Manna’ to an environmentalist’s ear. The crux of his talk was that `Environment Education’ should be at the center of education, all other knowledge can follow. All scientific data and processes are available with nature. "Bring science into education; all aspects of science can be learnt from nature. Science taught in correlation with nature is understood best. "Education for sustainable development in an era of climate change, calls for a change in mindsets. The need is to reach out to communities and have a dialogue. Teachers within the community will have knowledge at ground level". " Teaching of a subject must be holistic. Environmental issues can be effectively linked to say, automobile engineering. Teaching of music can take off from nature…." " Communicating with nature creates a sense of preservation of nature at the heart of education…" "The government’s aim is to connect all villages of India in the next three years. This can lead to leapfrog in education. We must be ready with relevant content in the meantime." Heart of all content is nature.

Environmental Education

Butterfly safari park in Kerala

Posted by Susan Sharma on March 12, 2008

 
Forum Post

A Park exclusively for butterflies, exists in Thenmala hills, Kollam, Kerala.  Situated on 3.5 hectares of forests, the artificially created safari park is filled with roosting plants, nectar providing flowers and a host of leafy shrubs that provide food for caterpillars.  Butterflies here are not kept in captivity.  The humid climate, artificial waterfalls and puddles, host plants and shrubs attract butterflies.  Monsoon season is said to attract maximum variety. 

Rare and endemic beauties like ’Paris Peacock’ and ’Southern Bird Wing’ can be spotted here.

                                                          

Environmental Education

Environmental Impact Analysis

Posted by Susan Sharma on June 14, 2007

 
Forum Post

 

Here is an opportunity to learn about EIA-provided by Centre for Science and Environment

Training: Understanding EIA: From screening to decision making
New Delhi, August 27-31, 2007

=================================

CSE invites applications for its five-day training programme, which aims at demystifying Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for NGOs, environment managers and community-based organisations (CBOs). It also seeks to develop the capacity of state-level regulators and state level expert appraisal committees to screen and scope the EIA process, evaluate reports and conduct public consultations, especially after the new EIA notification.

The course will expose participants to:
- Technical and new legal aspects of EIA
- Environmental and social impacts of various types of developmental projects
- Hands-on exercises in screening, scoping, data analysis and developing environment management plans
- Tools and thumb rules to evaluate various environmental and social impact parameters
- Techniques to engage in public consultation
- Post-EIA monitoring

Last date for registration:
July 31, 2007

Register online >>
http://www.cseindia.org/programme/industry/eia/eia_form.htm

For more information contact:
Sujit Kumar Singh
<
sujit@cseindia.org>

Note:
- Course is open to NGOs, academicians, regulators, decision makers and industries
- Due discount will be given to grassroots NGOs and CBOs


Environmental Education

Role of films in education

Posted by Susan Sharma on April 15, 2007

 
Forum Post

" .there is very little evidence to show that videos are used in the classroom, especially at primary and upper primary level, though impact can be huge considering the visual memory of children at that early stage. However, videos are used by institutions at higher levels: I had the chance to attend a programme on ’Forced Migration’ organized by Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi and we were shown documentaries and films on displaced people and refugees, followed by a discussion. It was a very good experience since it actually provoked questioning about the problems and issues. The impact is everlasting........
........First and foremost, there is a need to develop documentaries, videos and films on issues like environment protection, health, social learning and so on, where students can be taught through examples from their neighbourhood. It would not only make them aware and sensitize them but would also develop articulation and comprehension skills. Learning can be more fun. "

Geeta Verma
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi


"Schools are not uniform entities. There are schools and schools. Most of the time, local communities have no control over it. There have been several initiatives such as the Village Educational Committees which are supposed to input into and control the school bureaucracy. But the power structures in the village are such that all these committees, especially in areas where the poor and powerless live, have never allowed them to have any control over them.


We run a school called Green School which is a five year school for the poorest – mainly dalits. In this school we have used various kinds of videos, but not the ones produced by children. Because the Project Method, which we normally use in the school, is a very slow process and takes a lot of time. We have developed child-reporters integral to their learning, but they work on photo cameras and tape recorders with which we produce wall-papers on each of the projects.


Bringing in video for this (in spite of the fact that we have abundant video resources within DDS) proves very expensive, slow and needs a lot of attention. Though one might start with a video or two in the beginning, to keep this process going might be very, very difficult for rural communities and rural schools.


At one point of time when our school was collaborating with some Municipal schools in London, our children produced some short videos to explain their families, their agriculture, their festivals and their contexts to English children in a series of ‘video journals’. One video called ‘MY SCHOOL’ was a fascinating one bringing out how children from deprived rural families see their school and their education.


Many years ago, when I was a TV producer working for SITE, I produced very location specific, participatory videos for primary school children in rural areas of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. But it was a huge programme backed up by several institutions such as state educational institutions, state governments of AP and Karnataka and the Government of India, as well as ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). Even with that backing, the way schools used the video was a big sham. In AP, hundreds of thousands of video players and TV sets are kept in school cupboards for years: there is no enthusiasm at all to use them.


All these are very complex issues hinging upon the power of teachers in their schools (I am using this in a negative sense because teachers often abhor any extra work and are backed by their powerful unions], the power of the community to take control, as well the interest of the community to engage in these issues.


At the end of it all, all these innovations suit the elite schools and not the community schools in rural areas which need a whole transformation that needs the collaboration of multiple agencies.


In summary, let me say that while in theory video in schools is a very good thing, it is extremely difficult to get into action on that. I am quite pessimistic."


P V Satheesh
Deccan Development Society
Hyderabad

Dr. PV Satheesh was one of the pioneers of the SITE programme. 
SITE (Satellite Instructional Television Experiment), the ISRO-NASA satellite TV project
 
Source:
ICT for Development Community, Education Community" <se-ictd_se-ed@solutionexchange-un.net.in>

Environmental Education

environmental education at shool

Posted by Divya Chandran on January 02, 2007

 
Forum Post

This is regarding the present scenario of school level environmental education prevailing in our country...The fact that evs is a very easy subject makes it difficult for the better understanding of the environment..But both the school authority and the student should realise the very essence of studying the subject. This is possible only if we try to inculcate the love for nature instead of storing knowledge from a teacher...lets try to find out some innoative ways to impart this education in an inspirational way..

Environmental Education

Environmental Impact

Posted by Susan Sharma on December 04, 2006

 
Forum Post

Training: Understanding and deciphering EIA: from screening to decision-making
New Delhi, January 8-13, 2006

===============================

This hands-on training programme aims at demystifying Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for NGOs. It also seeks to develop the capacity of state-level regulators to screen and scope the EIA process, evaluate reports and conduct public consultations.

The course will expose participants to:
- Technical and new legal aspects of EIA
- Environmental and social impacts of various types of developmental projects
- Hands-on exercises in screening, scoping, data analysis and developing environment management plans
- Tools and thumb rules to evaluate various environmental and social impact parameters
- Techniques to engage in public consultation

Last date for registration: December 15, 2006

Register online >>
http://www.cseindia.org/misc/eia_form.htm

Environmental Education

Educating the greedy of the world

Posted by Susan Sharma on August 06, 2006

 
Forum Post

Illegal trade in endangered species can't be attributed to socioeconomic factors. People doing this, in most cases, have other means of finding income. It is pure greed and the ability to manipulate the uneducated tribals which fuel a flourishing trade.

Most people committing wasteful acts are doing it out of ignorance. Will creating awareness help? Yes, to some extent. Will Environment education help? Yes to a large extent. Not just informing them about the issues but also providing solutions.

Environmental Education

Media and Educators -a distinction

Posted by Susan Sharma on August 03, 2006

 
Forum Post

There could be a reason why -quote- the "newly industrialized" countries are not starting from the enhanced ideas on environmental protection unquote-.

The way I see it, it is a communication problem. "Marketing" is an important issue, not only with environmental problems but with most problems in general. It is not only important to identify a problem, it is equally important to be able to present it to the public in a way that people can identify with it and express it in a way that is easy to comprehend.

Problem solving in a developed country has to be adapted to the realities of a a developing country. Who will do this job? Our own environmental educators have this big responsiblity.

Media generates public interest, but stops short of suggesting solutions to problems. That is where environmental educators must pitch in.

 

Environmental Education

We already have the Information Needed

Posted by Amin Adatia on July 31, 2006

 
Forum Post
The information needed to protect and enhance the environment is and has been available. The only thing that has not changed is, as you say, the greed and short-sightedness. It is a wonder why the "newly industrialized" countries are not starting from the enhanced ideas on environmental protection. But then, they are neither too concerned about the safety of the workers. Cheap labour and "throw-away" human resources a plentiful. Why would this be any different than the way the IT companies have been treating the workers -- cheap labour so that the "Developed" countries can still exploit. Maybe having been exploited for over 400 years has something to do with it.
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