User talk:Sarjoon

CONTENTS

1.	What is Environmental Sociology				3-4 2.	The ecological Environmental					5 3.	Building Houses and Increases Waste				6 4.	Housing						6-7 5.	Growth Housing stock						8 6.	Land; Man Ratio 						9 7.	Toilet Facilities						10 8.	Environmental Safeguard for Houses				11 9.	Environmental Hazarded in Colombo city			12 10.	Conclusion						13 11.	References						14.

What is Environmental Sociology? Environmental sociology is typically defined as the study of societal-environmental interactions, although this definition immediately presents the perhaps insolvable problem of separating human cultures from the rest of ecology. Although the focus of the field is the relationship between society and environment in general, environmental sociologists typically place special emphasis on studying the social factors that cause environmental problems, the societal impacts of those problems, and efforts to solve the problems. In addition, considerable attention is paid to the social processes by which certain environmental conditions become socially defined as problems.

Although there was sometimes acrimonious debate between the constructivist and realist "camps" within environmental sociology in the 1990s, the two sides have found considerable common ground as both increasingly accept that while most environmental problems have a material "reality" they nonetheless become known only via human processes such as scientific knowledge, activists' efforts, and media attention. In other words, most environmental problems have a "real" ontological status despite our knowledge/awareness of them stemming from social processes, processes by which various conditions are "constructed" as problems by scientists, activists, media and other social actors. Correspondingly, environmental problems must all be understood via social processes, despite any material basis they may have external to the human. This interactive ness is now broadly accepted, but many aspects of the debate continue in contemporary research in the field.Environmental sociology is the study of the reciprocal interactions between the physical environment, social organization, and social behavior. Within this approach, environment encompasses all physical and material bases of life in a scale ranging from the most micro level to the biosphere.

An important development of this sub discipline was the shift from “sociology of environment" to an "environmental sociology." While the former refers to the study of environmental issues through the lens of traditional sociology, the latter encompasses the societal-environmental relations (Dunlap and Catton, 1979; Dunlap and Catton, 1994). A diversity of paradigms, themes, and levels of analysis has characterized environmental sociology. However, despite this diversity, a minimal identity of the sub discipline has been established through significant empirical research and a theoretical contribution "self-consciously fashioned as a critique to 'mainstream' sociology" (Buttel, 1987:468). Two key contributions to this critique are the joint work of Riley Dunlap and William Catton Jr. and that of Allan Schnaiberg. While the former work of Dunlap and Catton has been more influential within the sub discipline, Schnaiberg's work has shaped the discipline as a whole (Buttel, 1987).

Early work of Catton and Dunlap (1978; 1980) emphasized the narrow anthropocentrism of classical sociology. The HEP-NEP distinction--"human exemptionalism 'paradigm' and new ecological 'paradigm'"--contrast traditional sociological thought and emerging environmental sociology. Schnaiberg's contribution came with the development of the notions of "societal-environmental dialectic" and the "treadmill of production" (1975; 1980). Contrary to Dunlap and Catton, his work is rooted in Marxist political economy and neo-Marxist and neo-Weberian political sociology. Environmental sociology, emerging since around 1980 and a good bit settled during the 90s, is still in search of profile. The perspectives of environmental sociology discussed in this article are supposed to be of some general validity, though particularly referring to the German context. This is done in four steps – first, by talking about sociology having been a latecomer to environmental research, second, by looking into the reasons why the lessons that can be learned, third, by conceiving of an appropriate role of environmental sociology both within sociology as well as in the field of interdisciplinary cooperation, and finally by giving an, certainly uncompleted overview of the main research topics of environmental sociology.

In 1921 two Chicago sociologists, Robert Park and Ernest Burgess, originated the term “human ecology”. They applied theories of plant and animals ecology to the study of human communities. In the examine the relationship between human and their environmental. Sociologists look not at individual but at population of human. Communities have interlocking relationship and exchange with one another and their environmental. Sociologists find ecosystem analysis a useful way to view the environments human inhabits. How important are other species and the environment to human? Lest look at a few examples of the connections. Fish excrete waste that is converted by marine bacteria to nutrients that support algal growth, the algae are eaten by fish, human consume fish. Human excrete waste that de compose and provide nutrition for plants, plants provide both oxygen and food for animals including humans. According to the environmental protection agencies many of the nation’s water and wastewater facilities have water quality or public health problems.

Human domination or other alteration of several major components of the earth system expressed as a percentage of the land surface transformed the current atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration the result from human actions. Accessible surface fresh water used; terrestrial nitrogen fixation that is human caused; plant species Canada that humanity has introduced from elsewhere, bird species that have became extinct in the past two millennia, almost all all of them as a consequence of human activities. And major marine fisheries that are fully exploited overexploited or depleted.

The Ecological Environment.

We have learned how demographers measure population growth and have look at humans in their urban environments. What is the effect of human population on the natural environment on the planet earth? As you might guess human have an enormous impact on the environment indeed, most of earth’s ecosystem are now dominated by humans. The carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased by 30 present since the industrial revolution began. In addition the forested area of the world has discrete by the one- third since the rise of agriculture based civilization. Human have a become a major force in the shaping their environment on the earth. Environment that is the basis for life. An estimated 35 million people in Africa live on the interfaces of deserts and arable land and are constantly threatened by hungry. The deserts are growing. Much of this desertification is no attributable to basic elements change but to the overworking of marginal lands for crops, grassing, and firewood. The introduction of western techniques, such as irrigation, deep plowing and the use of chemical fertilizers, has compounded the region’s problems. When people intensify their exploitation of the lands in order to compensate for desertification problem increase. Including more desertification. Functionalists emphasize that to avoid this type of damage to the ecosystem, human beings must became more sensitive to the both the manifest and latent consequences of their actions on the environment. Environmental problems as due more to the distribution of the world’s resources than to the limited amount of resources available in the world. Conflict theorists also point out that people tend to be separated into two camps on environmental issues. On one side are those who favor economic development and growth even if it results in some measure on environmental damage other side those who see environmental preservation as their primary goals and who believe that the environment must take precedence over economic goals.

The environment not marginal issues of the future and the future are have now. Environment to include human health, the economic. Social justices and national security. Human health for e.g.:- as water pollution increase the malaria, global warming. David John Franck’s historical analyzes of international treaties shows a shift in the very meaning of “nature” over 120 years. Today many world oriented association, intergovernmental organizations and concerned citizens world wide recognize that ozone depletion, climate change, decline biodiversity and others problems are global and thus require coordinated efforts at solutions. Pollution causes environmental damage and human health problems. Other hand to control pollution costs money.

Building houses and Increases waste

Where the developing countries generated 100-330kg of domestic solid waste pre capital in the early 1990s. Increase the waste produces and the amount produced per person in countries around the world. The industrialized societies have some times been called the ‘throw-away-societies’ because of the volume of items discarded as a matter of course is so large. In most countries of the industrialized world, waste collection services are almost universal. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to dispose of the enormous amount of refuse. Landfills are quickly filling up and many urban areas run out of room for disposing of domestic waste. Although this amount of recycling many seem low compare to the overall amount of domestic waste that is produced, a larger proportion of the domestic waste that is a thrown away can not be easily reprocessed or reused. Many of food packaging simply becomes unstable waste. There is no way for recycling it and it has too many buried in refuse tips where it remain for centuries. In the developing world the greatest problem with domestic waste at the present time is the lack of refuse collection services. If has been estimated that20 to 50 present of domestic waste in the developing countries goes uncollected. Poorly managed waste systems manse that refuse piles up in the streets, contributing to the spread of diseases. With the passing of time it is very likely that the developing world will face problems with waste disposal even more acute than the current situation in the industrialized countries.

Housing The interdependence of the public in the common environment in the large cities and the relationships at of the people to the environment with it is various social-economic institutions. When a new group of people settle an area previously occupied by another group displacing the previous residents and changing land-use patterns. Ecologists call this invasion. Another approach is to renovate existing apartments and houses where ever possible. Before build house consider about facilities, school, streets, shopping centers and amount of land. The housing problem is very much a space problem build out of the cities. In urban area increasing slums. So that they have not facilities of fresh water, current, clean streets and lack of the space in house. In addition to rain period they faced so many problems as rain water. It helps to increase epidemic diseases and other health problems. Other hand there is no play ground for children, Natural Park for people and libarery, committee whole, cultural centers so on. In addition to artificial environmental create the mental problems of people. According to such research people who live in slums are very cruel. There are no spaces to build houses than fill the faddy fields. Then they face the lot of problems. Reason for it paddy fields locate downsides whence compare with another areas. Because of the paddy want water. Fill the paddy and build the house after they can not solve how water removes method from these areas.

All people one’s goal is create a own house, but there are not enough land for it. In addition to creating house need wood and timber, these needs we searching from forest. Than cut down so many trees for our necessaries. Result of this lost the forest and it reason to create environmental imbalance. As an example lost the water and descries O2 and C2O. These are harmful to human and animal survival. When we consider rapid increase population in whole over the world environment has not chance to provide facilities for fulfill them. So that we have to learn how manage it. When we build house should protect environmental. When we create house we use alternative for wood and timber so on. That artificial thing also should not harmful to natural environment. So that when we create house consider such three environmental issues. These are,

1. Design 2. Construction 3. after the constriction. Before the build house we should consider about infrastructure facilities, for example fresh water and enough land for build the house and other facilities. If there not fresh water, water block and earth slips that place not suitable for construct the house. Without consider environment we can not build the house. When construct the house we consider such factors. How create the house without harmful of environment. Instead of how supply wood, timber for create house and how householder get enough O2 for their life and gap between toilet and well, toilet and house, how get full sunrise in to home so on. In the land at least need 5-6 trees to create O2 and shelter and decline C2O. Other hand structure of house also importance. In limited lands do not suitable for build big house. Because we can not put dirty water others land   (after the bath and washing cloth). In addition to we should consider about the quality of housing space. In the case of housing space the number of room pre person is considered a measure of principle aspect of space quality. The organization of housing space in to room and the number of person’s pre rooms capture the quality of housing while talking in to account the effect of crowding.

Even though growth of the occupied stock out-placed population growth. The aggregate data mask the changes that may have taken place in the physical environment of residential settlements. For intense in the number of shanties. Most of them semi-permanent houses. In a squatter settlement is not simply an increase in accommodation or shelter and other housing services. The congestion owing to the increased density may have resulted in a deterioration of the neighborhood, more noise, more garbage; less vacant space would have accompanied the increased number of houses.

Growth of Housing Sock.

During the inter-censual period 1971-1981 the growth of housing stock out placed the growth of population. The numbers of occupied housing unite increased by 20% while the population increased only 17% during this period. Growth of housing stock was place in the rural sector as compare to the urban sector. In the state sector the growth was negative but the decrement was less than the decrement of population size. It is of interest to study the housing changing pattern of sharing of housing unit by households in Sri Lanka. As a house units shared by more than one household could have a greater environmental impact than housing units occupied a single household. The proportion of housing units shared by more than household in Sri Lanka has declined from 7.6% in 1971 to 4.8% in 1981.

Sector	Occupied housing units

1971                      1981          	Increase% All sectors	2217478	2813844	26.9% Urban	421155	511840	21.5% Rural	1558765	2084841	33.7% Estate	237558	217194	-8.4% [Source; Department of census and statistic]

Rapid urbanization is one of the most importance changes in human settlement in the world during the 20th century. These result in a growing proportion of the population living in urban centers when compare with rural areas. For example at the beginning of the 20th century fewer than 10% of global population in urban areas by mid 1990 the global population had become almost half urban 45%. Rapid urbanization has serious environmental consequences for the urban centers and their hinterland. Generally and urban centre has two populations the rich and the poor. The poor populations live under land equate housing condition, usually in slums. Such population group in lack the basis need leads them to suffer from various types of diseases. Most urban centers have no proper sewerage system witch result the human waste to pass in to the rivers or streams. This creates water pollution problems. Garbage collection services are inadequate in many urban centers. Hence it accumulates on streets and open spaces contributing to serious health problems. Poor households in urban centers suffer most as the garbage collection is often neglected in such areas.

Land; Man Ratio

The land; Man ratio indicates the pre-capital land availability as the land areas of the country does not very increase in population in tend to lower the value of land; man ratio. The decreasing trend to the land; man ratio in Sri Lanka during the century is shown in this figure.

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

1880     1900      1920     1940      1960      1980      2000

The large majority nearly 91% of householder in the occupied housing units have access to piped bone water not all of them have tap locate inside the units or at least within their premises. A substantial proportion share a top or have access only to a common tap or streets tap, only the half of the householders have the piped born water within their units or premises; others have access to piped water from outside the premises. Nearly 3% people used protected well.

Toilet facilities

Toilet facilities Householders No	% Total Householders 123132	100.% Exclusive for the householder 71916	58.4 Having toilet but sharing with another 8381	6.8 No having but sharing with another 2983	2.4 Public toilet 35508	28.8 Not using toilet 148	0.1 Not stated 4195	3.4

Environmental safeguards for Housing

The protection and improvement of the physical environment for housing can not be considered in isolation from the broader national policies pursued for the management of the environment as a whole. The legislation on environment includes the housing and town improvement ordinance. The town and country planning ordinance, the urban development authority law of 1978, and its amendment of January 1982, the national environment act 1980, councils are the agencies mainly responsible for administering the first two acts. Along with the other three enactments, three agencies were created and vested with the responsibility for administering these acts-the Urban Development Authority, the Central Environmental Authority and the coast Conservation Authority. The local authorities are responsible for the enforcement of various regulations relating to housing and specific to the protection of the physical environment. In the past they have been seen essentially in terms of housing location and design, public heath and the amenities needed for urban centers and towns. While the protection of the environment was an essential part of all these activities. They have been seldom approached and reached as an integrated set of measure and policies for the protection an improvement of the environment and it is quality. The far-reaching changes in the physical environment caused by urbanization, industrial development as well as new settlement in the rural areas have had environment impact which required both legislative measures and administrative machinery which could deal these issues more effectively and on a broader national scale.

The recent legislation and establishment of new agencies dealing specifically with environmental problems have been a response by the governmental to do this need. A framework of national policies for the protection of the environment and improvement of environment quality is still in the process of being formulated. In such a framework and assessment of existing environmental safeguard specific to housing and residential locations. And strengthening and co-ordination of relevant measures need to from an important component. The present institutional framework and the location of the agencies concerned with environment, urban development and housing less than one Ministry has created conditions which are conductive to such a task.

Environmental Hazards of Colombo City.

The environment protection and improvement of, first, the slums and sanities without proper water and sanitation services pose and environmental hazard. Considering that slums and shanties comprise about 40% of the housing in Colombo city. The protection and amelioration of their physical environment would require special and urgent attention independence of the upgrading of the housing component.

Second problems of surface drainage in the city have been aggravated by the new construction of building and roads. This has result in serious problems of inundation of roads as well as residential and other location during rain. Third the inland canal system which passes through part of the city continues to be another gave environment hazard. Fourth arguments for garbage and waste disposal in the city and its environs have not been able to cope with the expansion that has taken place. The dumping of garbage in open places, particularly on marshy land which can be reclaimed, has become another source of environment pollution.

Proposed industrial projects are required to submit and environmental impact Assessment Statement. Standards for pollution control and the protection of the environment have been laid down and relate to the following-

1.	Tolerance limits for industrial waste discharged in to- i.	Public sewer ii. Inland surface waters iii. Marine coastal waters 2.	Tolerance limits for industrial effluents discharged on land for irrigation purposes. 3.	quality of inland surface waters 4.	Air emission norms 5.	 Typical noise level criteria 6.	Buffer zones relating to different types of industry.

The Central environmental Authority is vested with the function of initiating action for environmental safeguards in development planning and monitoring of the impact of development and other major social-economic changes on the environment. To facilitate work at the periphery, the authority has establishment institutional links in all districts. It is also entrusted with the responsibility of formulating a National Environment Code and preparing a National Conservation Strategy. The appraisal of the ecological and environmental impact of projects is also a function of the authority.

Although the legal and institutional framework covers most of the areas pertaining to the various environmental problems that have a bearing on housing. What is needed is first, better co-ordination of the policies and measures that are already being pursued. Second, environmental planning and policy need to focus on a number of urgent problems such as those affecting the Colombo city. Which have not yet received adequate attention and on which action has to be taken on a systematic, integrated plan? For both the tasks, the environment- specific responsibilities of local authorities and difference national bodies would need to be more closely co-ordinate. The institutional framework envisages by the Central Environment Authority, the Central environment council and the decentralized structure under it with its district Environment agencies provide some scope for such co-ordination in relation to the broader objectives of environmental protection and management of the environment.