CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Man cannot exist without his environment. The essence of his existence is to the extent of the availability and dependency of his environment. Based on this, in recent times every effort its made to alleviate the poor environmental conditions of man as to protect man (Schandorf, et al, 2003). Man is engulfed in his environment that he cannot do without environment. According to Chambers 21st Century Dictionary environment is defined as the surroundings or conditions within which something or someone exists. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary on its own part defines environment as the conditions that affect the behaviour and development of somebody or something, the physical conditions that somebody or something exists. Environment can refer to cultural and socio-economic environment. In the context of this research, it is more of physical environment which according to Uchegbu (2002) is a kind of system within which organisms interact with the physical environment, comprising of air, water and land.

The dynamics of man’s existence in creativity purposes in life, his industrial revolution involvement, commercial networks, hi-tech global networking systems, and scientific researches to demystify the environment and subject it under man’s existential control have committed man in constant production of wastes – these wastes through pollution have degraded the environment that it calls for a great concern (Schandorf et al, 2003). As an act of man, Chambers 21st Century Dictionary defines pollution as the adverse effect on the natural environment, including human, animal or plant life, of a harmful substance that does not occur naturally. In other words the introduction to the environment by man made things have adverse effect to man and environment (Arnold, 1974).

Enugu South Local Government Area is no exempt to activities that cause pollution of environment. Activities within and around the Local Government Area produce pollutants that pollute the environment. Students in the various secondary schools within the locality engage in some domestic, commercial and school curriculum activities that generate wastes that lead to pollution. However, the crux of the matter is, do the Junior Secondary School students in the concerned local government area aware of what causes environmental pollution? Are they aware of what are pollutants, classifications of pollutants, activities that can cause pollution of the environment, indeed the dangers of environmental degradation through pollution, or in a nutshell what is pollution of the environment and its hazardous effects on man and his environment? The trial on these highlights will bring to a focus the fact to acknowledge how many and how far do the junior students of the school in Enugu South LGA are aware of what is environmental pollution and what will be the likely steps to be taken for them to be conscious of the environmental pollution.

Earth environment in its various forms or spheres on land, marine and air have throughout the existence of earth been of greater values to the actual existence of the earth, living and non-living objects in it. There has been much co-existence of the three spheres of earth’s environment, which has enhanced the growth and development of stable ecological phenomenon of the earth (Schandorf et al, 2003).

The sustenance of the earth’s environment both to man and other living objects on earth must be a phenomena of co-existence in a symbiotic relationship, which if not sustained may lead to degradation and hazardous effect. In exploring the earth environment utilising its resources for man’s scientific discoveries, technology improvement, industrial development, man has not only distorted the ecological system of the earth environment but also has been able to pollute the earth’s environment. Thus, environmental problems become so obvious with man, around man and for man; so turns to be natural problem even in Nigeria (Ofomata, 2003).

Pollution on air has been able to distort recent times the ozone layer, which has created direct effect of sunrays on earth and changes in the atmospheric conditions of the earth’s planet, through other means like the automobiles as experienced in Thailand, Mexico, China, United States of American and Europe (De Souza, 1999). Pollution of the aquatic regions of the earth has distorted the ecological system of the marine sphere of the earth’s environment. Oil spillages, domestic, industrial and commercial wastes that find their ways into the aquatic region have not only killed the aquatic forages but also have distorted the ecological system of the marine environment. Equally, mining activities in some communities and textile industries have their wastes channelled down the stream such contaminate the water (Schandorf et al, 2003). Land pollution is not left out. The greater improvement in home domestic uses of chemical reagents, plastics, rubber, battery components in our domestic electronic gazettes, also chemical application in our agricultural farming systems have resulted in production of chemically polluted land environment and both surface and under surface water resources around man.

Meanwhile, all these environmental polluted wastes are around man and causing both health and environmental hazardous consequences to man and the climatic condition of the earth planet; hence, everywhere environment experiences pollution and its consequences, whereby that affected victims may not be considered or turned to be passive compensated by the concerned authority just for a while (Adinna, 2003).

Oftentimes man has not done much to tackle the menace of this environmental pollution (Adinna, 2003). Hence, not having proper solution to its management has led to its continuous hazardous effects on man and the environment itself. So it calls for proper orientation of the concerned authorities to build up strategies to guide against environmental degradation.

Fundamentally to the solution is the proper environmental management orientation of the students in our secondary school among other solutions. Here in Enugu, environmental pollution is everyday natural phenomenon and its improper management and consequent effects are observable facts around people that live in this metropolis. Even students are often times involved in causing pollution and generation of environmental pollutants. Besides, students in secondary schools at Enugu South Local Government Area are not exempts to this phenomenon.

Therefore, the urgent and intensified efforts to teach them, create an awareness strategies for them to realise the global effects of pollution and what pollution is all about will help bring down to its minimal level the pollution effect of the environment within and around the area of study. Or if need be for any legal regulations, the students will be aware of them and implications of hat and their importance (Ofomata, 2003).