ENVIRONMENT

The concept of environment or the environment is in a constant process of construction. You can find different definitions for this term, according to the time of its preparation, the sometimes restricted, sometimes enlarges.

According FEEMA (1990) and IBAMA (1994), there are various environmental settings. These are presented in the table below, in chronological order, so you can see how this concept has been developed over time.

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Observing this conceptual frame construction, it is clear that the inclusion of the relationship between the effects of human actions and the degradation of nature is relatively recent. Before the 1960s, the environment setting or was closer to the observations of the biological or physical sciences (ecosystems, natural environment, etc.), or the humanities (cultural environment, social etc.). It was not established their relationship!

It was only from the mid-60s of the twentieth century that began officially broader discussions that sought to integrate the "environment" physical social. This movement was boosted by the awareness and the consequent attempt to reverse the serious effects that the actions of contemporary society printed on the planet.

It is understandable, therefore, why reflect on the concept of environment is important, since it is behind this definition the way in which they propose actions or check their impacts or concrete results.

Just as the concept is theoretically it builds also influences the formal actions of society. A clear example can be seen in the gradual integration environment definition in the Federal Laws texts, state and local, as presented by FEEMA (1990) and by IBAMA (1994).

• Decree-Law No. 134 of 16/06/1975 - State of Rio de Janeiro, "is considered environment all inland or coastal, surface and groundwater, air and soil."

• Article 3, Law 6938 of 31/08/1981 - Brazil:. "Environment - the set of conditions, laws, influences and interactions of physical, chemical and biological which protect and normalize life in all its forms" .

• Article 2, Law No. 33 of 02.12.1981 - Republic of Cuba:. "It is the system of abiotic and socioeconomic elements with which man interacts as it fits, turning it and using it to meet their needs. "

• Environmental Quality Act, 1981 - State of California (USA): "the existing physical conditions in an area, including soil, water, air, minerals, flora, fauna, noise and historical significance elements and aesthetic ".

• Decree-Law No. 28,687 of 11/02/1982 - State of Bahia: "It is considered environment everything that surrounds and affects the man, making his world and supporting material to their biopsychosocial life [...] are considered under this designation, for purposes of this Regulation, the air, the atmosphere, the climate, the soil and subsoil, inland and coastal, surface and ground waters and the territorial sea as well as the landscape, fauna, flora and other factors conditions of physical and social health of the population. "

It also highlights the art. 225, Chapter VI of the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, which deals with the establishment of rights and duties of the state and citizens in regard to the environment: "Everyone has the right to an ecologically balanced environment and of common use and essential to a healthy quality of life, imposing to the government and society the duty to defend it and preserve it for present and future generations. "

We begin to realize that the issue of maturity became more complex the environment setting. The reason is that this is a process which combines both theoretical and practical learning Renewing the knowledge and produce new understanding of the theme possibilities.

 

Some contemporary authors offer environmental complex approaches, including variables that include not only its elements, but also the processes generated from their relationships. For example, to Medina (1985), the environment is generated and built along the historical process of occupation of a territory by a particular society at a particular time frame. Emerges as the historical overview of relations between society and nature.

For Sauvé (1997), the complexity of the interrelations is expressed through the explicitness of different environments:

 

- Environment and nature - refers to the unique surroundings, pure, from which mankind moved away to give priority to human activities that have caused deterioration;

- Environment-resort - refers to the environment as a base material of development processes;

- Environment-problem - it refers to the threatened environment, damaged by pollution, erosion or the excessive use;

- Environment-livelihood - refers to the environment of everyday life, at school, at home, at work. It incorporates therefore socio-cultural, technological and historical elements;

 

- Environment-biosphere - refers to the environment as a spaceship - Planet Earth as well as the concept of Gaia (Lovelock), departing from the awareness about the finiteness of the planetary ecosystem as a place of origin in which are unit beings and things;

- Community environment - refers to the environment and surroundings of a human community; shared way of life with its natural and human components.

As for Leff (2001), the environment is regarded as a "vision of complex and synergistic relationships generated by the articulation of the physical order processes, biological, thermodynamics, economic, political and cultural."

 

Although currently there is great possibility of variation in quantity and quality settings for the environment, they are directly related to the process of transformation of thought in contemporary society. We emphasize that even with wide range, there are in all concepts interrelated presence of three common elements:

 

- The nature (physical and biological diversity);

- Society (with its social, cultural, economic and political);

- Their joint dynamics (both the relations between the elements between themselves and the society, as well as the relationship between nature and society).

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These should be the main elements to be observed and understood the considerations we make on the environment. Should always be in evidence during all times of our study and our professional action, so you can develop a dynamic concept of Environment, we should ask: What is the nature, which society and what are the interrelationships that validate the processes we are analyzing?

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The following topics will enrich this concept of environment from a complex perspective, where we will be linking the environment with different complementary concepts.