In this article, we are going to discuss Green Skills Class 10. It is one of the topics of Part A Employability Skills Class 10 of Skill courses. Let us begin.
Topics Covered
Introduction to Green Skills Class 10
To know about Green Skills we should know our environment. Whatever living and non-living things around us affect our day-to-day life is known as environment. Similarly, our day-to-day life activities also affect the environment.
People who live in cities get their day-to-day needs of life from villages. Normally village people get these from farming, forests, grasslands, rivers, and seashores.
The main source of our daily needs are coming from natural resources. It can be water, fuel, wood, fodder etc. Human beings are dependent on natural resources for food and survival.
Over the years there has been industrial development increases like anything which affects the environment and makes the environment polluted.
For example, we can see the pollution in water, air, and soil. The chemical garbage from industries dumped into the rivers makes the water polluted, and the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and hybrid crops leads to soil and environmental degradation. The industrial smoke and smoke of vehicles makes the air polluted.
Hence we need to think about these all aspects and plan to use the resources sustainably for future generations.
Let us go ahead with the next topic Sustainable Development for Green Skills Class 10.
Sustainable Development
Just answer these questions to proceed further ahead.
- Are we planting more trees or are we only destroying them for our use?
- Are we saving water or just polluting it?
- Are we using clean energy or just burning fuels?
- Are we giving back anything to the environment?
- Are we living anything (natural resources) for our future generations?
If there is only one of these questions that is Yes, then we are just thinking about immediate development, not long-term development.
Sustainable development refers to the development that satisfies the needs of the present without compromising the capacity of future generations, guaranteeing the balance between economic growth, care for the environment, and social well-being.
According to the World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987 Sustainable development is defined as ‘ development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs‘.
For example – Sustainable agriculture includes some environment-friendly methods of farming that prevent the use of chemicals in production and avoid adverse effects on the soil, water, and biodiversity.
Let us understand the importance of sustainable development in the next section of Green Skills class 10.
Importance of Sustainable Development
As economic development is growing quickly and eating up our natural resources it leads to serious problems for our future generations. The condition may be worse than today for them.
The natural resources are limited and required to produce the goods for us. So we need to think about a development strategy that will not destroy natural resources. It is only possible through a sustainable lifestyle and careful utilization of resources.
Problems related to sustainable development
The major problems related to sustainable development are as follows:
The solution for such problems are we can use energy from such sources which are unlimited and wasted without use. Such as solar energy.
One of the major examples of large-scale production of solar energy is seen in Charanka, Gujarat Solar Park. It can produce 600 MW of energy. The benefits of this park are as follows:
Some sustainable development includes:
- reducing excessive use of resources and enhancing resource conservation
- recycling and reuse of waste materials
- scientific management of renewable resources, especially bio-resources
- planting more trees
- green grassy patches and trees to be interspersed between concrete buildings
- using more environment-friendly material or biodegradable material use of technologies, which are environment-friendly and based on efficient use of resources
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals were Launched at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015. They have formed the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development which the countries need to work towards and achieve by 2030.
There were 17 SDGs formed to take care of important issues faced in business, governments, and society. Some issues are as follows:
- Poverty
- Gender
- Equality
- Water Use
- Energy
- Climate Change
- Biodiversity
Nowadays countries are making policies and regulations that will promote sustainable development goals.
The core skills required by a person who wants to contribute to the environment include environmental awareness and willingness to learn sustainable development. If a person is responsible about his/her life then will do best at home and at school or at the workplace to help the environment and the people around us.
Sustainable Development Initiatives
- Mr. Avasth Hedge found an eco-friendly alternative in which he used a bio-degradable bag that can dissolve in hot water and decompose in the natural environment. Now this is being used by many countries.
- Narayana Peesapaty made edible cutlery made out of a grain — these spoons can be eaten and even if they are not eaten they will easily. Source – Click here
Sustainable Process
The following practices can help to preserve the environment:
Organic farming refers to not using chemical pesticides and fertilizers to increase their production. Instead of these, cow dung as well as natural fertilizers are used to grow the crops. This method helps the soil to maintain its fertility and chemical-free crops. In this process, earth resources are used and preserved for future use.
Our role in sustainable development
As the human population grows the consumption of natural resources is also increasing day by day. As the population increases more food, energy, and water is required. When more crops are grown, the soil’s nutrients are consumed and slowly the soil becomes unusable. Similarly, other natural resources are also consumed such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
Here are some examples of which pollute air, land, and water.
- Factories give out smoke that pollutes the air.
- Garbage collected from homes is dumped into landfills. Untreated garbage can lead to disease and an unhealthy environment.
- Sewage from the cities is dumped into the seas and lakes making water polluted and unsafe for marine life.
We use natural resources but not returning anything to nature. We are using them and not doing anything hence our future generation has to survive without some of them as they are limited.
We can take some initiatives to handle such situations.
For example – Ministry of Railway in Varansi and Raibareilly where they introduced clay pots ‘Kulhads’ to replace plastic and paper cups and to bring taste of tradition.
The three major advantages of Kulhads are:
Our role towards sustainable development
As we are aware United Nations has formed 17 SDGs for sustainable development for major problems of various countries like removing poverty and hunger, provide health and quality education, protecting life on land and in the water etc. These goals are made for all countries to protect air, water and soil from pollution and supply clean water and air to the people.
Similarly we have also certain responsibilities towards sustainable development. Some of them are as follows:
Quality Education
For sutainable development education is one of the most important factors. Children should be educated and go to school and take care of themselves as well as do jobs in future. Education prepare a child as a resopnsible citizen.
Some steps can be taken for quality education they are as follows:
Clear Water and Sanitation
Clean water for drinking and sanitation is necessary for human beings. Citizens needs to put their efforts to build toilets and create awareness towards senitation. Everyone should take some measurable steps to promote cleaniless and avoid pollution.
Affordable and Clean Energy
For clean energy we should use some renewable resurces in place of non-renewable resources. Such as using solar power using sun does not cause pollution and it does not required non-renewable resource coal. We should make efforts to use more salar power and generate more energy from it.
Another good example us bio gas as an alternative for natural gas.
Decent work and economic growth
- Study and find good jobs to take care of ourselves and familiy
- Work hard and contribute to society
- Learn and develop skills so that we get add value in our community
Reduce inequalities
- Be helpful to others
- Be friendly with everyone
- Include everyone while working or playing
- Help others whether they are of any gender, from any community, or status or belongs to any cast or class
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Creating sustainable cities is the demand of today. So it can be created by following:
Responsible consumers and producers
- reusing paper, glass, plastic, water, etc.
- taking cloth bags to market carrying fruits and vegetables.
- donate things we do not use such as clothes, books, furniture, food, etc.
- Buy and eat seasonal fruits and vegetables from local growers.
- Repair leaking taps and pipes to avoid wasting water.
- Sort and treat garbage before disposing.
Protect Life below water and on land
- Avoid to dump garbage into sea which is killing marine life
- Save oceans and sea from pollution
- Avoid to cutting trees unneccessorily as cutting tress lead to soil erosion and making land dry and unusable for cultivation
- Plant more trees to replace the tress cut
