12th CBSE ASL Project (English Core)

TOPIC: Environmental Degradation

Submitted by: Tejas Shrivastava
Class: XII Roll Number:
Submitted to: Ms. Simmi Chopra

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 Certificate
This is to certify Tejas Shrivastava, a student of
Class XII has successfully completed the project on
the topic” Environmental Degradation” under the
guidance of Mrs. Simmi Chopra (English language
teacher) during the CBSE academic year 2022-23. It
is further certified that this project is the individual
work of a candidate.

English Teacher Principal

Mrs. Simmi Chopra Mrs. Maninder
Bhatia

Examiner’s signature:

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Acknowledgement
I, Tejas Shrivastava, of Class- XII (GVN The Global
School) would like to express my special thanks of
gratitude to my English teacher Mrs. Simmi Chopra
as well as our Principal Mrs. Maninder Bhatia who
gave me a chance to do this wonderful project on
the topic (“Environmental Degradation”), which
also helped me in doing a lot of research and I
came to know about so many new things.
I am really thankful to them.
Secondly, I would like to thank my parents and
friends who helped me a lot in finishing this
project.

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Contents
 Certificate
 Acknowledgement
 Objective -
 Action Plan
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Causes of Environmental Degradation
 Extents of Environmental Degradation
 Effects of Environmental Degradation
 Mitigation Measures
 Environmental Degradation in “Keeping Quiet”
 Bibliography

Objective
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The objective of this project is to introduce the
concept of “Environmental Degradation” which
was introduced to by “Keeping Quiet” by Pablo
Neruda, taught to us in class (Poetry 3) through
‘Flamingo’ (The textbook followed by CBSE for
English). Further this project brings forth past
events showing “Environmental Degradation” and
introspects on how far is man harming the Earth.

Action Plan
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 Selection of Topic
 Approval of the topic by the teacher in charge
 Reading of the poetry of “Keeping Quiet”
(Poetry-3 of Flamingo textbook)
 Research on past events
 Developing own ideology on the topic
 Creating the project

Short Summary
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The environmental degradation is the
deterioration of the environment through
depletion of resources which includes all the
biotic and abiotic element that form our
surrounding that is air, water, soil, pant animals,
and all other living and non-living element of the
planet of earth. The major factor of
environmental degradation is human (modern
urbanization, industrialization, overpopulation
growth, deforestation, etc.) and natural (flood,
typhoons, droughts, rising temperatures, fires,
etc.) cause. Today, the automobile and industries
increase the number of poisonous gases like Sox,
NOx, CO, and smoke in the atmosphere. we need
to make optimum use and management of
resources, sustainable development, adoption of
green concept and above all community
participation in all developmental activities.

Introduction
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The environment is something we are very
familiar with. It’s everything that makes up our
surroundings and affects our ability to live on the
earth. Environmental degradation is a very serious
problem worldwide which covers a variety of
issues including pollution, biodiversity loss, and
animal extinction, deforestation and
desertification, global warming, and a lot more.
The environmental degradation is deterioration of
the environmental through depletion of resources
which includes all the biotic and abiotic element
that form our surrounding that is air, water, soil,
plant, animals, and all other living and non-living
element of the planet of earth

Causes Of Environmental Degradation

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Environmental changes are based on many factors
including:
 Urbanization
 Population Growth
 Economic Growth
 Intensification Of Agriculture
 Increase in Energy Use
 Increase in Transportation

The major factor of environmental degradation is

human (modern urbanization, industrialization,
overpopulation growth, deforestation, etc.) and
natural (flood, typhoons, droughts, rising
temperatures, fires, etc.) cause. Environmental
pollution refers to the degradation of the quality
and quantity of natural resources. Different kinds
of human activities are the main reasons for
environmental degradation. The automobile and
industries increase the number of poisonous

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gases like Sox, NOx, CO, and smoke in the
atmosphere. Unplanned urbanization and
industrialization have caused water, air, soil, and
sound pollution. Industrialization, urbanization,
and sewage waste help to increase pollution of
the sources of water. Similarly, the smoke emitted
by vehicles and industries like
Chlorofluorocarbon, nitrogen oxide, carbon
monoxide, and other dust particles pollutes the
air. Since man began to use tools and gradually
formed a society, he began to play an important
role in the evolution of the natural environment

Effects of Land Degradation

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Impact on Human Health
Human health is heavily impacted by
environmental degradation. Reduction in water
quality is responsible for more than two million
deaths and billions of illnesses annually across the
globe. Due to environmental degradation, the
results include water scarcity and decline in
quality foods. Reduction in air quality is
responsible for more than 300,000 deaths
annually and millions of chronic diseases.
Landfills increase the risk of hazardous materials
getting into the food chain which causes
biomagnification and the ultimate risk of
developing chronic diseases. Altogether, the toxic
wastes and harmful chemicals from factories,
agriculture and automobiles cause illnesses and
death in children and adults.

Poverty

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In the majority of developing countries, poverty is
attributed to poor crop harvests and lack of
quality natural resources that are needed to
satisfy basic survival needs. The inadequacy basic
survival resources and lack of quality of food is the
direct result of environmental degradation in the
regions. Most vulnerability situations brought
about by water shortages, climate change, and
poor crop yields in developing countries are tied
to environmental degradation. Hence, the lack of
access to adequate basic needs such as water and
food directly induce poverty.

Atmospheric Changes
Environmental degradation can alter some of the
natural process such as the water cycle and the
normal processes of animal and plant activities.
Also, environmental degradation aspects such as
deforestation and mining destroy the natural land
cover. This, together with air, water, and land
pollution pose several atmospheric alteration

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threats. The alterations include global warming
and climate change which can increase the risks of
climatic natural disasters, and ozone layer
depletion which increases the risk of skin cancer,
eye disease, and crop failure.

Loss of Biodiversity
Degradation of the environment has recorded a
continued destruction of wild forests and the
damage of natural ecosystems that has greatly
contributed to the mass extinction of species. The
number of threatened species persists to multiply
worldwide whereas some have completely gone
extinct. This is because of the human activities
such as acidifying water systems, over-
exploitation of natural resources, overpopulation,
and the deliberate and indirect destruction of
natural systems necessary for the survival of
different species. These anthropogenic activities
simply alter the natural process combined, thus,

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destroying the natural ecosystems supporting
biodiversity.

Scarcity of Natural Resources

Environmental degradation through aspects such
as over-exploitation of natural resources,
pollution, and deforestation can contributes to
the scarcity of resources particularly arable land,
water, genetic resources, medicinal plants, and
food crops.

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Extents of Environmental Degradation
Land degradation
Trash and garbage are a common sight in urban
and rural areas of India. It is a major source of
pollution. Indian cities alone generate more than
100 million tons of solid waste a year. Street
corners are piled with trash. Public places and
sidewalks are despoiled with filth and litter, rivers
and canals act as garbage dumps. Soils are a key
element in the climate change equation and
perhaps the least well understood. Although
models of soil organic matter decomposition
predict increasing rates with increasing
temperature, field measurements seem to
contradict model results. In addition to increases
in CO2 emissions, industrialization has increased
the amount of nitrogen deposition. Nitrogen
deposition from human activities may help forests
that are nitrogen-limited, but excess nitrogen
deposition can lead to soil acidification and
reduced nutrients availability to plants.

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Degradation of water resources
Microbe contamination of groundwater due to
sewage outfalls and high concentration of
nutrients in marine and coastal waters due to
agricultural runoff are among the most serious
threats. Contact with unsafe drinking or bathing
water can impose serious risks (both acute and
delayed) on human health. While tap water is
subject to treatment and is required to meet
detailed testing and purity standards, it is not
always disinfected of diarrhoea inducing
microorganisms, as illustrated by waterborne
disease outbreaks such as that caused by
Cryptosporidium in Milwaukie in 1993, which
affected over 400,000people. Furthermore,
faecal coliforms are not prohibited in bottled
water and sold within the same state is not
subject to Food and Drug Administration
standards.

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Mitigation Measures
Plant more trees
Afforestation or planting of trees can help us
control environmental degradation. Plants give us
oxygen and take in carbon dioxide, thereby
reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. Forests are home to various
indigenous species. Cutting them creates an
imbalance in the ecosystem. The roots of the
plant hold onto the soil preventing soil erosion.

Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting or collection of rainwater
for domestic purposes is a way to prevent
wastage of water. The unavailability of drinking
water and water pollution makes it hard for
people to find healthy drinking water. The water
collected by rainwater harvesting can be used for
agricultural purposes, domestic works, and
cooking. Using this method, we recycle the
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rainwater for our personal use and thus avoid
wastage of water.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

The resources are limited and cannot be renewed.
Such resources are called non-renewable
resources. There is a sudden rise in the human
population. So, the resources are being overused.
This can lead to exhaustion. So, we need to
reduce the use and emission of greenhouse gases.
We can reuse the items and recycle them. We can
avoid plastic bags and stick to jute bags. The cans
can be recycled. We can avoid buying items that
are not important.

Reduce fuel consumption

The cars release harmful gases like carbon
monoxide into the environment. This increases
the amount of carbon in the air, causing air
pollution. Fuels such as diesel and petrol are

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limited sources of energy. Excessive use of diesel
and petrol will lead to the extinction of resources.
Rather, we can travel by bus and other means of
public transport or just use the bicycle lying in
your house. Also, we can save energy like
electricity by switching them off when not in use.
We can use renewable energies such as CNG,
solar energy, etc. They are found amply in nature
and are inexhaustible.

Treating the industrial effluents before dumping

them in water bodies
The waste produced by the industries is toxic and
causes vigorous damage to the water bodies. The
chemicals present in them pollute the water. This
leads to the death of many fishes and aquatic
organisms. Water from these lakes or rivers is
used for irrigation. The chemicals mix with the
soil, and the crops produced are consumed by
humans. This causes serious health hazards in
man.

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To minimize the harmful effects of industrial
wastes, scientific methods such as thermal
techniques and chemical techniques can be used
to treat those wastes and treat water pollution.

Reducing the use of fertilizers

With the rise in population, there is a demand for
more food. As a result, the farmers are bound to
produce more crop yields to compete in the
market every year. This leads to the use of
inorganic fertilizers for more yields. Inorganic
fertilizers consist of harmful chemicals such as
zinc, arsenic, etc., which causes soil pollution.

Control population growth.

The rate of population is increasing at a
tremendous rate. Population explosion is a
serious issue in developing countries. The
mortality rate is decreasing due to developed
health care, but the resources remain constant. As

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a result, competition occurs. A large number of
forests are burnt down to provide shelter. Non-
renewable resources are overused. As a result,
famines and natural calamities occur.
Some other measures
• Institutional instruction
• Direct control and regulation
• Economic instruction
• Technological measures
• Educational
In 2000, India’s Supreme Court directed all Indian
cities to implement a comprehensive waste-
management program that would include a
household collection of segregated waste,
recycling and composting. These directions have
simply been ignored. No major city runs a
comprehensive program of the kind envisioned by
the Supreme Court (Gov. of India).

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Conclusion
We have certain responsibilities towards our
mother nature. Our environment is deteriorating,
and it is of the utmost priority to implement ways
to control and prevent environmental
degradation. In order to reduce any future
impacts, city planners, industry, and resource
managers must consider the long-term effects of

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development on the environment. Major
environmental calamities in India include land
degradation, deforestation, soil erosion, habitat
destruction and loss of biodiversity. Economic
growth and changing consumption patterns have
led to rising demand for energy and increasing
transport activities.
Let’s come together and save our ailing planet.
CHANGE begins at home. Let’s hope for a better
future and standstill.

Environmental Degradation in
“Keeping Quiet”
“Keeping Quiet” is written by poet Pablo Neruda.
The poetry of “Keeping Quiet” is all about
maintaining peace so as to protect and develop
our people and

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Student’s Reflection on the topic
I was attracted to the topic as we read this in the
class and was able to get the idea of
environmental degradation. Humans have a habit
of sacrificing the future just for mere
advancements and benefits in the present.
Therefore discovering, mining, urbanizing
relentlessly. On the other hand, activist who are
shouting there heart out just to maintain
sustainability, cleanliness and hygiene in
environment. Recently I had the chance to meet a
few of the activist, it invoked my curiosity about
such things.
This project came in as a blessing as it helped me
do some extensive research on these topics,
therefore making me more interested in the field

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Bibliography
 Flamingo (“Keeping Quiet”)
 www.wikipedia.com
 research gate
 Times of India

Thank You

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