Sustainability - Interruption
Added on 2022-04-06
12 Pages3535 Words182 Views
Environmental Science
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SUSTAINABILITY- INTRODUCTION
The concept of sustainability become so important nowadays, because of the irreparable damage
caused to the environment by industrial civilization & consumerism, which originated about 3
centuries ago. They were based on the following wrong assumptions:
Earth belongs to the humans only
Ignore the fact that humans are part of the Earth's biosphere
Earth's stock of resources is infinite
Environment can bear any amount of damage that is caused by human activity.
The advantages & disadvantages of industrial civilization & consumerism are:
Advantages
1. Flourished the economy
2. Improved the living quality of the society
Disadvantages
1. Caused irreparable damage to the environment
2. Pose a threat to the life support systems of earth.
3. E.g.1.The thinning of the ozone layer surrounding our planet as a shield against
the dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun
4. E.g.2. Increased carbon dioxide content and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
that cause global warming
Several warnings concerning the instability of Earth’s life support systems have been raised in
the recent times. In 1992, some of the world’s senior scientists from 70 countries, signed and
sent an urgent warning “The environment is suffering critical stress...” to the government
leaders of all nations as part of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(the “Earth Summit”) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This marked the beginning of the concept
sustainability.
Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and
wellbeing depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability
creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive
harmony, that permit fulfilling the requirements of present and future generations. Sustainability
is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and
resources to protect human health and our environment.
SUSTAINABILITY- DEFINITION
Sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the
natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people. The term
sustainability has a multidisciplinary use and meaning. In dictionaries, sustainability is typically
The concept of sustainability become so important nowadays, because of the irreparable damage
caused to the environment by industrial civilization & consumerism, which originated about 3
centuries ago. They were based on the following wrong assumptions:
Earth belongs to the humans only
Ignore the fact that humans are part of the Earth's biosphere
Earth's stock of resources is infinite
Environment can bear any amount of damage that is caused by human activity.
The advantages & disadvantages of industrial civilization & consumerism are:
Advantages
1. Flourished the economy
2. Improved the living quality of the society
Disadvantages
1. Caused irreparable damage to the environment
2. Pose a threat to the life support systems of earth.
3. E.g.1.The thinning of the ozone layer surrounding our planet as a shield against
the dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun
4. E.g.2. Increased carbon dioxide content and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
that cause global warming
Several warnings concerning the instability of Earth’s life support systems have been raised in
the recent times. In 1992, some of the world’s senior scientists from 70 countries, signed and
sent an urgent warning “The environment is suffering critical stress...” to the government
leaders of all nations as part of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(the “Earth Summit”) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This marked the beginning of the concept
sustainability.
Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and
wellbeing depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability
creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive
harmony, that permit fulfilling the requirements of present and future generations. Sustainability
is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and
resources to protect human health and our environment.
SUSTAINABILITY- DEFINITION
Sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting the
natural systems of the planet and providing a high quality of life for its people. The term
sustainability has a multidisciplinary use and meaning. In dictionaries, sustainability is typically
described by many sources as a capability of a system to endure and maintain itself. Various
disciplines may apply this term differently.
In history of humankind, the concept of sustainability was connected to human-dominated
ecological systems from the earliest civilizations to the present. A particular society might
experience a local growth and developmental success, which may be followed by crises that
were either resolved, resulting in sustainability, or not resolved, leading to decline.
In ecology, the word sustainability characterizes the ability of biological systems to remain
healthy, diverse, and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are
examples of sustainable biological systems.
SUSTAINABILITY- NEED & CONCEPT
Sustainability has three components, which are inter-related, as shown:
1. Environment
2. Society
3. Economy
Environment gives resources, raw materials to the Economy for production activities. Economy
creates products and sells it to society for use. Production by Economy and Consumption by
Society lead to the following environmental impacts
1. Exhaustion of Resources – Water, Petroleum, Forests
2. Loss of Biodiversity - Extinction of Animal/Plant Species due to Water, Soil, Air
Pollution
3. Deforestation - conversion of forestland to farms, urban use etc.
4. Ozone Depletion - reduction of the amount of ozone in the stratosphere due to the
emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFC/s emitted from the industries, rises to the
Stratosphere. Sunlight breaks CFCs to release Chlorine. Chlorine reacts with Ozone and
destroys it.
5. Acid Deposition – results in acid rain, acid fog and acid mist.
6. Desertification - type of land degradation in which a land region becomes dry, typically
losing its water bodies, vegetation and wildlife.
7. Eutrophication - form of water pollution occurs when excessive fertilizers run into lakes
and rivers. This encourages the overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants.
8. Global Warming - gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere
and its oceans, caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases – Carbon oxides,
Nitrous oxides, sulphur oxides, Fluorocarbons
The environmental impact, caused by economy on production and society on consumption, leads
to the following damages to human life.
a) Fresh water scarcity
b) Climate change
c) Exposure to toxics in food, air, water and soil
d) Emerging diseases
e) Food insecurity resulting in poverty
disciplines may apply this term differently.
In history of humankind, the concept of sustainability was connected to human-dominated
ecological systems from the earliest civilizations to the present. A particular society might
experience a local growth and developmental success, which may be followed by crises that
were either resolved, resulting in sustainability, or not resolved, leading to decline.
In ecology, the word sustainability characterizes the ability of biological systems to remain
healthy, diverse, and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are
examples of sustainable biological systems.
SUSTAINABILITY- NEED & CONCEPT
Sustainability has three components, which are inter-related, as shown:
1. Environment
2. Society
3. Economy
Environment gives resources, raw materials to the Economy for production activities. Economy
creates products and sells it to society for use. Production by Economy and Consumption by
Society lead to the following environmental impacts
1. Exhaustion of Resources – Water, Petroleum, Forests
2. Loss of Biodiversity - Extinction of Animal/Plant Species due to Water, Soil, Air
Pollution
3. Deforestation - conversion of forestland to farms, urban use etc.
4. Ozone Depletion - reduction of the amount of ozone in the stratosphere due to the
emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFC/s emitted from the industries, rises to the
Stratosphere. Sunlight breaks CFCs to release Chlorine. Chlorine reacts with Ozone and
destroys it.
5. Acid Deposition – results in acid rain, acid fog and acid mist.
6. Desertification - type of land degradation in which a land region becomes dry, typically
losing its water bodies, vegetation and wildlife.
7. Eutrophication - form of water pollution occurs when excessive fertilizers run into lakes
and rivers. This encourages the overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants.
8. Global Warming - gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere
and its oceans, caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases – Carbon oxides,
Nitrous oxides, sulphur oxides, Fluorocarbons
The environmental impact, caused by economy on production and society on consumption, leads
to the following damages to human life.
a) Fresh water scarcity
b) Climate change
c) Exposure to toxics in food, air, water and soil
d) Emerging diseases
e) Food insecurity resulting in poverty
f) Energy scarcity due to depletion of non-renewable resources
g) Ecosystem damage and habitat loss due to pollutant discharges
h) Sea level rise
The need of sustainability is to reduce these damages and create a livable planet earth for the
future generations. For this, United Nations presented the following key sustainability concepts: -
Intergenerational equity – Expects the present generation to hand over a safe, healthy and
resourceful environment to the future generation. Intra-generational equity – Emphasize that
technological development should support economic growth of the poorer section, so as to
reduce the gap between nations. Sustainability means balancing environment, society and
economy
g) Ecosystem damage and habitat loss due to pollutant discharges
h) Sea level rise
The need of sustainability is to reduce these damages and create a livable planet earth for the
future generations. For this, United Nations presented the following key sustainability concepts: -
Intergenerational equity – Expects the present generation to hand over a safe, healthy and
resourceful environment to the future generation. Intra-generational equity – Emphasize that
technological development should support economic growth of the poorer section, so as to
reduce the gap between nations. Sustainability means balancing environment, society and
economy
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