An environment is a set of natural, artificial, physico-chemical, and biological elements that make the existence, transformation, and development of living organisms possible. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in article 1, defines the environment as “all of nature and natural resources, including cultural heritage, and human infrastructure essential for socio-economic activities”.
Protecting our environment is the moral duty of every citizen on this planet. Environmental protection is improving , defending, and maintaining the quality of the environment. Important methods for the same are recycling, reusing, and reducing. Some other methods like Green Energy production, green transportation development, and eco- friendly industrialization etc also exist. The Club of Rome in its report “ The Limits to Growth ” in 1972 was the first to warns the world about the adverse effects of environmental pollution and population explosion. From last several decades humans have been degrading our earth and its resources in the name of development. Due to global economic development the problem of environmental pollution and ecological damage has become a common concern . Increasing degradation of environment has received marked attention from policymakers and academic communities. Governments spelled out mitigation strategies for addressing the climate change challenges in Intended Nationally Determined Contributions ( INDCs) adopted in the Paris Agreement .
Protection of environment often conflicts with individual freedom though both are often seen as part of human rights. Some people argue that environmental protection must take precedence over individual freedom. Conversely, some argue that individual freedom should not be sacrificed in the name of environmental protection. Those who argue in favor of prioritizing protection of environment over individual freedom say that environment is a global resource that must be protected for future generations. They argue that individual freedom must be sacrificed to ensure that the environment is preserved and the global climate crisis to be addressed. On the other hand , those who emphasize the importance of individual freedom argue that environmental protection ought not come at the expense of individual rights and liberties. They argue that environmental regulations should be implemented in a way that does not overly restrict individual freedom.
Environment Protection Acts have been put in place to curtail people from damaging environment. Environment Protection Acts are a way to make them realize that we are standing at the verge of environmental degradation. However, all these efforts would go in vain until the individuals consider saving the environment as their very own responsibility. We all have to come together to save our mother earth.