Opinion

Environmental Protection is Possible only through Friendship With Nature

Ranjeeta Soni*

Professor, Environmental Science, Jagannath University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Submission: November 22, 2023;Published: December 07, 2023

*Corresponding author: Ranjeeta Soni, Professor, Environmental Science, Jagannath University, Jaipur Rajasthan, India. Email id: ranjeetasoni@gmail.com

How to cite this article: Ranjeeta S. Environmental Protection is Possible only through Friendship With Nature. Ecol Conserv Sci. 2023; 3(5): 555623.DOI:10.19080/ECOA.2023.03.555623

Abstract

Keywords:Theology; Puranas and Upanishads; Environmental Concerns; Hydrosphere; Industrialization

Opinion

Maintaining cooperation with nature has been the specialty of the Indian psyche. This cooperation of man with nature has been given the highest place in the theology, Puranas and Upanishads of this region. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore has written that forests and natural things have always given a definite direction to human life. The humans here have realized the connection between the world and the human soul. This cooperation between man and nature is ingrained in Indian culture. Environment is a broad term which can be considered as the sum of all those forces, conditions and objects which discipline human behavior and activities. Considering man as the center point of the entire living world, Indian mystics gave utmost importance to man’s cooperation with nature and believed that the entire world is an indivisible unit. Therefore, it can be said that environmental concerns have been in the Indian mind since ancient times.

Environment means the surroundings. In reality, the environment is a complex coordination of many small systems to the largest systems that is why the Vedic sages have prayed for peace for everyone. Such scientific definition of environment and environmental balance is not found in any other region or culture of the world. Our sages and sages, while creating the mantra of ‘Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram’, had given a lifestyle of ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah Sarve Santu Niramaya’, by adopting which there is coordination between the material resources for living a complete life and the internal resources necessary for physical and mental development. A call was made to protect the environment. In ancient times, environment was considered to mean environment. But today the meaning of environment has become so broad that the entire earth, its atmosphere and everything existing on this earth has been considered a part of the environment. Many sciences like zoology, botany, health science, physics, chemistry and astronomy are included under ‘Environment’. Now the word ‘environment’ has also come into common parlance. Modern scientists have divided the earth into three biospheres. One of these biospheres is called ‘hydrosphere’ which includes rivers, seas, and other water sources. The second part of the biosphere is the ‘atmosphere’.

This includes all types of gases other than our vital air and oxygen. The third part of the biosphere is called ‘land sphere’ which includes our earth, vegetation and animals. All these systems together create the environment. For the health of the entire creation, it is necessary for the environment to remain balanced. But humans have expanded their comforts so much and have adopted a lifestyle that harms the environment. Now everyone is aware of these facts. Many researchers at the international level also confirm this. It is also true that campaigns are being run at the international level to prevent damage to the environment and all countries have started taking steps at their own level. But this work is not something that can be completed overnight. Everyone will have to make long-term efforts, the most important of which is to remove the factors that damage the environment. This can happen only if alternative measures are taken. For this, new research will have to be done, new products will have to be made and new sources of energy will have to be found which are friendly to the environment. If we look at the daily life of the common people, we will find that people do such things at the personal level which spoil the environment, which they themselves also suffer from. At the top of this is water and air pollution. Pollution of water sources occurs due to discharge of chemical substances and excreta into them. Burning of fuel, paper, plastic etc. and vehicles running on petrol and diesel cause air pollution. We have to accept that we all are responsible for the pollution of the environment; hence we all have to make collective and individual efforts to save it. We can contribute to this campaign by using water sparingly and taking water conservation measures. We can also contribute to curbing air pollution by using public vehicles instead of single vehicles and by reducing the use of air conditioners and luxury items. Environment is the totality of all the natural resources available to mankind on earth. These resources are- land, water, air, vegetation, forests and wildlife always influence our lives. As a poet has said, “Land, water, sky, sky and wind mills decorate the environment and make the functioning of the universe balanced.”

Man conquered nature with his intelligence, skill and ability. With the arrogance of this victory, he continued to create his wealth while destroying nature and today he has reached such a situation where the deterioration of the environment has started affecting his life. Man has become selfish due to the material prosperity gained through industrialization. But now he has also started to recognize that the environment is a group of biological and nonbiological components which influence the lives of humans and animals through mutual processes. Due to imbalance of various natural components the entire eco-system becomes unstable. This instability is called environmental pollution. Therefore, it can be said that environmental protection can be achieved only by maintaining balance among all the components of nature. The people here consider the trees as gods and bow to them with gratitude. In all rituals and festivals, sometimes he is honored in the form of Shami and sometimes in the form of Peepal, Bada and Tulsi. Mango, Pallava, Kund, Patal, Ashoka, Tulsi Dal, etc. also became an integral part of our life process. Even in Vibhutiyog of Gita, Lord Krishna praised trees. Description of vegetation is also found in the poetry of Tulsidasji, who made Ramayana accessible to the masses by composing it in folk language. In our country, rivers were considered sacred and worshiped. The cultures of the country flourished on their banks. Conservation of wild animals has been a special and integral part of Sanatan culture. The peacock was considered to be the vehicle of Goddess Saraswati, the lion was considered to be the vehicle of Mahakali, the elephant was considered to be the vehicle of Indra and the mouse was considered to be the vehicle of Ganesha and was worshiped along with these gods and goddesses. Even in astrology, the zodiac signs are named after animals. Instructions for the protection of wild animals are inscribed on the Ashoka Pillar. In fact, the sages have considered all the products of nature as gods. In the Vedas, water has been addressed by the name Apo Devta. Taittiriya Upanishad says that all living beings are born from food, they survive only from food, and both strength and brilliance come from food, life without food is rare. Therefore, it can be said that when humans develop a feeling of friendship towards the environment, only then will the environment of this earth remain safe. We should consider the natural resources around us as our friends and use them