Role of youth in safeguarding the environment

1 | P a g e ROLE OF YOUTH IN SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT – OUR COMMON HOME
Role of Youth
In Safeguarding the
Environment – Our Common Home.
Name: Anish Mittal

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................................................................3
ROLE OF YOUTH IN SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT.........................................................................................................................................4
SUB-TOPICS UNDER THIS TOPIC.....................................................................................................................................................................................4
AFFORESTATION.................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
WATER CONSERVATION ...............................................................................................................................................................................................6
USE OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES................................................................................................................................................................................7
ANALYSIS............................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
KEY LEARNINGS.................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................................................................................................................8
CULTURAL CHANGES....................................................................................................................................................................................................9
RESEARCH DIRECTED TO PROTECTION, RESTORATION, AND MANAGEMENT......................................................................................................9
NATIONAL-LEVEL LEADERSHIP AND COORDINATION.............................................................................................................................................9
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALPLAN FOR RESEARCH................................................................................................................................................9
LINKAGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND POLICY........................................................................................................................................9
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Youth have both special concerns and special responsibilities concerning the environment. Several environmental risks and hazards
disproportionately affect young people, who have to live for an extended period with the deteriorating environment inherited to them by earlier
generations. Young people will be compelled to engage in new forms of action and activism that will generate effective responses to ecological
challenges.
It is important to provide some background and establish a clear context by identifying the current state of the environment. The nature, extent, and
severity of environmental problems vary tremendously from one part of the world to another. It is perhaps most logical, to begin with, an overview of
the state of the global environment, providing a snapshot of its present condition, as well as a more detailed and revealing assessment of past trends
and likely future developments.
Global indicators are additionally important because national and regional indicators can sometimes be misleading. For example, a country may show
a downward trend in industrial pollutant levels, but this may be because the more polluting sectors of its manufacturing industry have moved to
countries with more relaxed pollution standards. Global indicators are not all that matter, but they do provide a point of reference and help control for
these types of effects. These Global indicators fall into two categories, namely, measures of human wellbeing and assessments of the condition of the
world’s ecosystems on which all life depends.
Youths are now awakened toward their responsibilities for safeguarding our common home i.e. Environment and are working to their best extent so
that they can redevelop our environment to sustain for many more years. Such few organizations are;
1. SankalpTaru Foundation: Aims at promoting tree plantation across India and this NGO is active in 21 states of India.
2. Tropical Research& Development Centre (TRDC): This environmental NGO strives to preserve natural resources for generations to come.
3. The International Water Management Institute: This Sri Lankan organization aims for solving the international water crisis.
4. Earthjustice: The fight for the right to clean air is behind the goal of Earthjustice of the USA.

ROLE OF YOUTH IN SAFEGUARDING THE ENVIRONMENT
Young people constitute a large part of the world's population. Many, especially young children, are particularly vulnerable to environmental risks
associated with, for example, access to clean and safe drinking water. In addition, young people will have to live longer with the consequences of
current environmental decisions than will their elders. Future generations will also be affected by these decisions and the extent to which they have
addressed concerns such as the depletion of resources, the loss of biodiversity, and long-lived radioactive wastes. Representing the concerns of future
generations is difficult in the context of policy-making in the present. However, the objective is not to expand time horizons many years into the
future; moving beyond the current very short-term focus of much decision-making would be sufficient. In markets, the focus is often on short-term
profits; discount rates in capital markets mean that the longer into the future an effect occurs, the more it will be down-weighted. Politicians in liberal
democratic political systems rarely look much further than the next election.
Because youth have a stronger awareness of the issues and a greater stake in long-term sustainability, the environment is one area in which they
ought to take the lead. In many countries, a generation that came of age politically in the 1970s organized and established environmental movements
and green parties. To combat “the greying of the greens”, a new generation needs to come to the fore. They will face challenges as pressures are
brought to bear in the opposite direction. The commercialization of every area of life affects young people too. In addition, technologies that
increasingly distance people from the environmental effects of their consumption decisions are growing with globalization, acting as an impediment
to environmental awareness.
SUB-TOPICS UNDER THIS TOPIC
It's the right of every individual to get access to environmental resources irrespective of the time they are born, so it's the duty and responsibility of
this generation to utilize resources in a better and more efficient way so that it is available for our future generations.
Youth of our generation is awakened toward this cause and are very futuristic thinkers so that they can save every resource for the wellbeing of
upcoming generations and that they don't face any problems of an abundance of essential resources for their living.
A few steps taken up by Youth for safeguarding the environment are:
1. Afforestation
2. Water Conservation
3. Use of Renewable Resources
4. Prevent Pollution.

AFFORESTATION
There has been a lot of deforestation across our globe for establishing livelihood for humans in the manner of establishing industries in forests by
cutting it down, cutting trees for timbers and furniture for the status quo of people.
Afforestation is an initiative in which people aim to plant more and more trees in the region where there was no plantation earlier and cover the
region as a forest. Plantation helps in many ways as trees play a very vital role in bringing rain to the earth, along with this trees also help in retaining
the soil's fertility and prevent landslides in hilly regions. So, we get to know that there are many advantages of trees in our life as without trees we
won't be able to take breathe easily as it is the only source of oxygen which help human beings to take breathe, along with oxygen trees also provide
us with lot of fruits and vegetables which we eat to survive.
Youth are understanding the need for trees in our life and are taking up a lot of steps to prevent people from cutting down trees and along with it, they
are taking up many campaigns where they make people aware of the side effects of deforestation and the benefits of afforestation. They are also
initiating drives where they plant trees and encourage people to plant trees. For example: In India Youth organizations stood against a
government organization where they were cutting down a long streak of Aarey Trees in Mumbai for laying down the metro line which made
the government think about the project at the end.
{Source: Times of India} {Source: Hindustan Times}
Many more such initiatives are being taken up by many organizations all across the globe to promote afforestation and discourage deforestation.
Some of the organizations working to promote Afforestation across the globe are:
1. Project Green Hands: This is a project by Isha Foundation, intending to increase tree plantation in the state of Tamil Nadu. The Project
Green Hands aims to plant and grow up to 141 million trees across Tamil Nadu.
2. Sankalp Taru: Kickstarted in the year 2013, this is a Clean and Green Schools program with a complete curriculum. Aims at promoting tree
plantation across India and this NGO is active in 21 states of India.
3. International Tree Foundation: We work every day to plant and grow trees, restore and conserve forests and strengthen community and
ecosystem resilience. Because when tree planting is done right it transforms landscapes, communities, and livelihoods.

WATER CONSERVATION
Earth is covered by 71% water and the rest is land but 98% of this 71% water is stored in the ocean as salted water which is not drinkable so humans
have only a very little amount of water for their consumption. Even after knowing this fact, people are not taking any step to conserve water and save
it from getting polluted, rather big industries are letting out their sewages directly in water bodies without properly treating them which is
deteriorating the water quality. Even people waste a lot of water in many ways.
Hence water conservation is very important to save it for the future. Water conservation is the practice of using water efficiently to reduce
unnecessary water usage. Water conservation is important because fresh clean water is a limited resource, as well as a costly one.
If people behave in this same manner the days are very near when people will die due to the shortage of water. People have already seenhow Cape
Town of South Africa became the first country to see a severe water crisis in 2017 as well as in India in the year 2016 there was a shortage of
water in Maharashtra due to which IPL matches abounded in Mumbai for that year.
{Source: resilienceshift.org} {Source: thebalancesmb.com}
Youth are getting up to solve this big problem so that there is no shortage of water in near future and are even taking up some steps so that future is
also secured. Some steps taken up by them are (i) Organizing campaigns where they make people aware about various steps to conserve water in
their houses like Rain Water Harvesting in which they can store rainwater in different storages and use them later for many household purposes, (ii)
Making people aware that they should not keep water taps on while doing daily chores like brushing, face washing, etc. Some other organizations
working for water conservation are:
1. World Water Council: The Pacific Institute is a leader in producing research and informational resources about water conservation. They
provide frequent reports on water conservation issues around the world including sustainability, water conflicts, and water use for agriculture
and energy.
2. Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR): Located at Pune, this NGO has spread its wings across nine states in India, impacting more than
3,750 villages. With “water” at the core of everything that it does, WOTR has started many initiatives that aim at conserving water bodies in
India.

USE OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES
People are getting aware of the fact that the resources available on our earth are limited and a lot of things we use in our day-to-day life are made
workable by use of non-renewable resources which cannot be re-used and are available only in very less quantity. So they are shifting toward the use
of Renewable resources/energy in many places where it is possible.
Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such
as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. These resources are present in plenty of quantity on our earth and can be regenerated.
People are shifting towards Solar Energy for electricity in their houses as well as their workplaces as this is environment friendly as well as
economical in nature. For example, St. Xavier's College; Kolkata uses solar energy to power up its library and many more buildings which
helps them to save a lot of money as well as help them to contribute to safeguarding our nature. People are aware that petroleum is also
available in limited quantity on earth so people are moving toward electric vehicles which don't need fossil fuel for operating and even electricity is
cheaper than petrol and diesel which makes electric vehicles economical. For example, Odisha is becoming an EV vehicle hub in India as Odisha
has registered a huge number of EV vehicles in RTO's.
{Source: thehindubusinessline.com} {Source: dazeinfo.com}
People are getting aware that we should prevent the usage of non-renewable energy as that is present only in limited quantity and are also needful for
the upcoming generation. So people are working hard to save such resources and use more renewable resources. There are many NGOs all across the
globe making people more aware of this issue and promoting the idea to use more renewable energy in places where we can eliminate the use of non-
renewable energy. Even Governments are promoting the usage of renewable energy by giving subsidies, etc.
Some organizations working in this cause are:
1. Greenpeace India – In association with local NGOs like BASIX and Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) – has been
working in the field of energy access for several years.
Dharnai is also the first village in India to be powered by solar energy.

ANALYSIS
With many topics of development in the field of defense, industries, technology, etc. topic of Environment protection is as much important as these
other topics not only for the youth and upcoming generation but also for this current generation because of the way the environment is depleting the
day is not very far when people will have to face severe problem due to their negligence towards the environment they are showing now.
Even the Government and their organizations must work toward the protection of our environment and not let industries exploit the environment for
profit and business.
It's important to understand the fact that we need to make our living more sustainable on OUR PLANET EARTH rather than finding the
solution on other planets like MARS.
KEY LEARNINGS
Youth all across the world are already awakened about environmental safety and are very concerned about this topic. Not only the youth but they are
also working towards making our elders aware of the concern and also taking steps to fight with the concerns related to the deterioration of the
environment.
Just like Youth, even Governments all across the globe are working toward safeguarding the environment and even promoting people to do so.
The government is providing subsidies to industries as well as people who are willing to help in safeguarding the environment. The government is
also giving tax exemption on EV Vehicles, also giving tax relief to industries who are doing less pollution and even to them who are treating their
pollutants before discharging them out of their industries so that they cause less pollution.
So we learn that people in every stage of life are now aware of the fact that they need to protect our environment for their living and for their future
generation to live peacefully.
RECOMMENDATIONS
We believe that our recommendations for changes can improve the effectiveness of our environmental research effort, no matter what new
organizational arrangements might be made. Implementation of the cultural changes should be systemic, that is, they should use throughout the
government environmental research system. I present the recommended cultural changes and four organizational frameworks to implement them.

CULTURAL CHANGES
The cultural changes we recommend will strengthen the nation's environmental research, correct specific weaknesses, and recognize that research
should enlarge our comprehension of and ability to observe the components of the environment, deepen our understanding of how transfers of energy
and materials occur among components, and improve our knowledge of the interactions among components. Fundamental advances in knowledge
and understanding are needed to grasp and solve urgent environmental problems.
RESEARCH DIRECTED TO PROTECTION, RESTORATION, AND MANAGEMENT
I recommend that environmental research advance the social goals of protecting the environment for present and future
generations, restoring damaged environmental functions so that they are once more ecologically productive, and managing our natural, economic,
cultural, and human resources in ways that encourage sustainable use of the environment. In advancing those three goals, environmental research
should, first, collect and analyze information needed in and outside government to pursue the goals; second, improve our knowledge of the
fundamental processes that shape the natural world and the human behavior that affects that world; and, third, apply the knowledge to solving
environmental problems with a comprehensive management strategy in the context of economic and social needs.
NATIONAL-LEVEL LEADERSHIP AND COORDINATION
I recommend the establishment of a National Environmental Council in the executive office of the president to be chaired by the vice president. It
should be composed of the heads of the federal environmental agencies. Advisory committees for the council should be established to represent the
scientific community, the public, state government, and the private sector. The council should provide national leadership and coordination among
the federal agencies for environmental research and oversee the implementation of the National Environmental Plan.
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN FOR RESEARCH
I recommend the development of a National Environmental Research Plan that will form the basis for coordinating environmental research
responsibilities of federal agencies. The plan, which identifies the nation's environmental research agenda and the responsibilities of the individual
agencies, should be updated every 2 years and comprehensively reconsidered every 5 years with the expectation that it will evolve. The National
Environmental Council should take primary responsibility for ensuring that the plan is developed. In doing so, it should reach out, through the use of
appropriate advisory committees, to the states, the private sector, non-government organizations, and the academic research community to ensure
their participation in developing the plan and thereby to encourage them to participate in implementing it.
LINKAGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND POLICY
I recommend the establishment of an Environmental Assessment Center in which large environmental issues that cross-agency mission boundaries
can be assessed and policy options developed. I recommend that an official (and staff) of this center serve as an environmental ''intelligence officer"
whose task will be to convey the policy options to decision-makers in the National Environmental Council, to Congress, and other involved parties. It

would be advantageous if the center were represented also on the president's National Security Council and Economic Council, in recognition that
decisions on environmental issues strongly influence the national security and the national economy.
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
Young people have important environmental concerns and responsibilities. Because of their longer life expectancy, they will have to live for quite
some time with the consequences of a deteriorating environment left to them by their parents. Fortunately, youth have a special talent for invention
and the development of new forms of action and activism and can generate more effective responses to environmental issues.
Environmental issues present some of the most profound and complex challenges requiring attention today and in the coming decades. One
foundation-building step in enhancing local, regional, national, and global capacities to respond to those challenges is increasing environmental
awareness. Here the role of youth is central, for it is in the rising generations that heightened awareness can most easily be achieved. There is much
work to be done in terms of reforming and extending both formal and informal environmental education and inducing the media to play a more
effective role in facilitating social learning about the environment, again here youth are well-placed to develop new forms of activism and bring new
energies and perspectives to environmental affairs.
Through their participation in the World Summit on Sustainable Development, young people recently demonstrated that they could inject social
values and notions of equity into a debate. Young people understand perhaps better than most that humankind is not living in a zero-sum,
environment-versus-economy world. One way to equip young people to deal with environmental concerns is through more effective environmental
education. Much of the information young people receive about environmental issues comes from the media. Therefore, the media should make
greater and more concerted efforts to promote a larger process of social learning for sustainable development.
REFERENCES
1. INTRODUCTION: From Chapter 5 of United Nations research on the Role of Youth and Media in Environment Protection.
2. ROLE OF YOUTH IN SAFEGUARDING ENVIRONMENT: From Chapter 5 of United Nations research on Role of Youth and Media in
Environment Protection.
3. RECOMMENDATION: Research to Protect, Restore, and Manage the Environment (1993)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is great pleasure for me to undertake this project. I feel highly like doing the project entitled – “ROLE OF YOUTH IN SAFEGUARDING
THE ENVIRONMENT – OUR COMMON HOME”).
I am grateful to our DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK & NSS for allowing me to make a research project on this very much needed topic
when our world is suffering so much from global warming and other environment-related issues. I would like to extend my gratitude toward MY
PARENTS and MY FRIENDS who helped me to find relevant sources for this project and encouraged me to make this research project.
This project would not have been completed without their enormous help and worthy experience. Whenever I was in need, they were there
behind me.
Although, this report has been prepared with utmost care and deep routed interest. Even then I accept respondent and imperfection.
ANISH MITTAL
B.Com (M) VI Semester

Thank
You

Role of youth in safeguarding the environment

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

Similaire à Role of youth in safeguarding the environment

Similaire à Role of youth in safeguarding the environment (18)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Role of youth in safeguarding the environment