The focus of all environmental studies is sustainable living. We study, research, acquire knowledge and skills, and cultivate values that enhance what we know about the environment so that we can continue to live without fear of losing one day every available natural resource. This means being involved with issues that relate to our natural environment and how we interact with it. All our actions have consequent impact on nature and we want to reduce that impact to the minimum so that we don’t interrupt what occurs naturally in the environment or introduce something that can alter the nature of things. Environmental studies also include examining how the practice of economics, politics, and sciences can exert influence to human behavior in nature.
The idea of sustainable living is an offshoot of what we have come to know as global climate change. This was brought about by ecological damage due to unchecked and uncontrolled use of fossil fuel around the world, but more especially by developed, industrialized countries. Climate change is a global event but needs the participation of all local communities to stop and bring about positive change. There are several project areas that you can involve yourself in order to contribute to these global efforts, namely – energy (using renewable fuel for generating energy), agriculture (implementing organic farming methods), education (such as environmental studies) and reforestation (employing sustainable forest management and practices.)
We are now living in an era when almost everything is run by computers. We have come to rely on technology and our future survival depends a lot on how we can maximize the dwindling natural resources still available to us today. We have lived through an era where disposable was the keyword for every item we use at home and it is only now that we are realizing that our future children could be left without the same kind of nature and environment that we are enjoying today. Thus, part of environmental studies is to find means of recycling, reducing and reusing the waste we have been producing on a daily basis.
We need to recycle in order to reduce our need for landfills that damage the environment, save energy, and minimize using new materials. Those who are already aware of the negative impact of human activities on the environment can easily understand the need for more positive actions. Each individual on the planet can actually contribute to global efforts at reducing waste that damage nature and alter the existing ecosystem. Since all our actions have their corresponding effect on the environment, making sure that we don’t waste anything is a good first step. We generate environment harmful carbon dioxide every time we use electricity to heat our homes and use gasoline to run our cars. Producing the food we eat also generates millions of tons of carbon dioxide and avoiding food waste can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions too.
There are plenty of opportunities that are opening to those interested in environmental studies. You can work as an environmental educator or landscape architect. You can also become involved in natural resource management, urban planning, public health, and environmental policy making. For those who want to go deeper into environmental policy making, they can study ecological restoration which involves researching ways how we can repair the damage we have inflicted to our existing ecosystems and how we can contribute to their rehabilitation. This particular branch of environmental studies also include finding means to secure appropriate political support for rehab projects, designing projects, recruiting volunteers from the local communities where your projects are located, procuring economic support, and on-going adaptation and monitoring activities to make sure that the projected change is accomplished.
Learning about the environment doesn’t stop at theories and making plans. It should lead us to identify and solve real environmental problems starting from our local communities and then moving on to global concerns. It should involve collaborative efforts in the global community rather than competitions as to who can solve the problem first. Environmental studies comprise interdisciplinary approaches and thus, the solutions we are able to formulate from them can also lead to solving other major problems in related areas.
Other fields where you could start a rewarding career after your environmental studies include working as environmental scientists, writers, teachers, artists, business managers both in government and private sectors. Lifestyle Learning Direct offers courses in environmental studies that can help you advance in your current job or help you start a new career in environmental management and other related industries. This is an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the environment so you can do your part in conserving our natural resources and inspire others to do the same.
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