The environmental issues are often discussed in terms of their scientific dimensions or their significance of public policy priorities.
However, the concern for environment is grounded in the value that human beings ascribe to nature itself. The value that is ascribed to nature is often embedded in cultural and religious traditions. The fact whether Indian religious and philosophical traditions embody an environmental ethic has been of interest to environmentalist from the time environment ethics was becoming established as an academic discipline.
It is indeed a matter of understanding that the environment is not just pretty trees and tigers threatened plants and ecosystems where as it is literally the entity on which we all subsist and on which our entire agricultural and industrial development depends. Development can take at the cost of environment only up to a certain point. Development without a concern for the environment cans only development for the short term.
India in several ways is a distinctive country, being developing among the developed and developed among the developing countries. It is a country where centuries coexist. The bullock cart, jet and space craft’s all of relevance of Indian as bullock cart is to stay with us when we are likely to enter 21st century. There are many places in India where the population of tribal’s and advises are an inseparable part of nature. They consume from nature what they actually need their well being and also generate little waste which is biodegradable and also waste of one species is food for other as a result accumulations of waste does not occur.
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It is worth mentioning that human is one such species in an ecosystem which is auto sustainable and self generating. Humans generate enormous quality of waste during production, processing and utilization of goods. It is true that some of such wastes are non – biodegradable which, thus, results in the accumulation degradation of the environment. In view of these two extreme situations, India is a country which is significantly different as compared to other countries of the world.
The type of conservation ethics in India is related with the culture, religions and philosophy from the Vedic times. The basic philosophy “of western countries is to exploitation of natural resources. The environmental damage in India is not in proportion to its long history where the teaching and principles of Mohair Buddha and Gandhi are ingrained in Indian culture concern for environment has now become a part of our daily life and that has come to us through countries.