The Unsustainable To Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay

The Unsustainable To sustainable Development Environmental Sciences EssayFrom Unsustainable to sustainable education urban problems related to energy Water conservation, rain peeing harvesting, turning point management, Resettlement and rehabilitation of people its problems and touchs. Case Studies Environmental ethics Issues and possible solutions Climate change, world(a) warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents and holocaust. Case Studies Wasteland reclamation Consumerism and waste products Environment Protection issue Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act Wildlife Protection Act Forest Conservation Act Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation Public aw beness.6.1 Unsustainable to Sustainable developmentSustainable development is not a new concept. It means brisk in harmony with the nature in full recognition of the needs of e very(prenominal) other species. It is no just the surv ival of the fittest, we must help even the weakest of the species to plump beca persona to each one species has a component to play that is ultimately beneficial to the earth and exclusively its human population. Our forefathers preached us the need to coexist with the environment in a balanced manner. The needs of the people in different parts of the world may be different, besides our dependence on the Nature is similar. The closely eventful thing to remember is that we have only one earth and if we destroy it by our actions, our children resoluteness not have a place to live.The first complete definition of sustainable development was haven by the Brundtland outfit in 1987Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of proximo generations to meet their own needs. Brundtland, G (ed) (1987). Our Common Future The World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford Oxford University Press.Any development activity displace be sustainable, if it is .. a dynamic process which enables all(prenominal) people to realize their strength, and to improve their tonus of life, in ways which at the same time protect and enhance the Earths life support systems. (Forum for the Future, annual Report 2000).In short, if we c be for the comfort of the present generation only and do not think of the needs of the future generations, and we damage the environment by various development activities, these activities bequeath be termed as unsustainable. In taking every action, small or big, the possible damages to the environment must be accustomed full consideration and the action must not leave rear end a degraded environment. Technically, sustainable development is defined as a path of development in which no permanent and irreparable damage is done to the environment and the resources are kept intact for the future generations. The earth has everything for each generation, but it depends on t he proper use. The present generation domiciliate survive very well on the resources available, but they must as well as leave behind enough resources for the future generations. It is necessary that a sustainable development path do not have any negative factor that is responsible for chip in adverse impacts on the environment. A sustainable development programme is friendly to the ecosystem in all respects and has the capacity to absorb abrupt changes of the present and the future. Sustainable development has also a strong element of socio-political development. Thus, sustainable development programme must have equal concern for all sections of the society with a balanced stinting development and environmental protection. The programme should have a log-term view of future consequences of any action taken today. In short, sustainable development has become the cornerstone of development planning today and has also become a principal tool of negotiation in international aid pa ckages to the countries.The sustainable development can be broadly classified into three different kinds, viz., environmental sustainability (no permanent damage to the environment), economic sustainability (economy remains stable with equitable overlap of resources) and sociopolitical sustainability (maintaining social harmony and political stability).Historical milestonesThe Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983. The commission was created to address working concern about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and congenital resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development. In establishing the commission, the UN General Assembly accepted that environmental problems were global in nature and determined that it was in the vulgar interest of all nations to establish policies for sustainable development. The Commission was asked to focus on mainly on the followingTo propose long-term environmental strategies for achieving sustainable development to the year 2000 and beyondTo recommend ways in which concern for the environment may be translated into greater co-operation among developing countries and between countries at different stages of economic and social development and attract to the achievement of common and mutually supportive objectives which take account of the interrelationships between people, resources, environment and developmentTo consider ways and means by which the international community can push-down store to a greater extent effectively with environmental concerns, in the light of the other recommendations in its reportTo help to define shared perceptions of long-term environmental issues and of the enamour drifts needed to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and enhancing the environment, and a long-term agenda f or action during the coming decades.The need to protect and enhance the human environment within a common framework and rulers led to the Brundtland Report and subsequently, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), more commonly known as the Earth Summit, took place in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992. This conference was designed to help governments to rethink economic development and find ways to stop pollution and the destruction of natural resources. The conference documents includeRio Declaration on Environment and DevelopmentUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeUnited Nations Convention on Biological miscellanyStatement of Forest PrinciplesAgenda 21Agenda 21 and Sustainable DevelopmentAt the Earth Summit in 1992, an agenda on cosmopolitan sustainable development was formulated. This agenda, known as the Agenda 21, is a blueprint on how to make development socially, economically and environmentally sustainable into the next century. It add resses economic and development issues and the conservation and management of the worlds resources. The implementation of Agenda 21 has been made the responsibility of Governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry and also the general humankind. Agenda 21 posts a global framework for tackling global environmental problems like climate change, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, desertification and deforestation.The Earth Summit was followed by a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 where the stakeholders from international institutions and corporations to national, regional and local governments have accepted that the principle of sustainable development will be at the core of all policy making. A few of the areas highlighted by the Agenda 21 are(i) Combating Poverty. Poverty and environmental degradation are directly related to one another and it is imperative on the part of the governments that they should focus on poorness alleviation in order to pro tect the environment. The national programmes should aim at sustainable use of resources and should enable the poor to earn a alive without destroying the environment. It is envisaged that the people should have a say in the development process and that local groups should be involved in the planning and execution of anti-poverty programmes. In this way, the people will become a party to sustainable development and environmental protection.(ii) Changing Consumption Patterns. Agenda 21 calls for a change in the existing patterns of production and consumption so that the damages to the environment may be minimized. For this purpose, the industrialized countries have been asked to play a leading role. National programmes should give more dialect to more efficacious production processes so that emissions and waste generation are brought down to minimum. solely processes of production and consumption should conform to the principle of sustainable development i.e. no harm to the envir onment. The Governments should discourage all production processes which are not environment-friendly and should levy taxes on goods that are produced through much(prenominal) processes. The use of eco-labels on appliances should be encouraged and efforts should be made to raise public sense on energy efficiency and recycling of wastes.(iii) Population and Human Health. The speedily increasing population has created much pressure on natural resources, employment, social and wellness operate. Sustainable development is not possible if the population is not suitably controlled. Agenda 21 calls for the governments to adopt measures that take into account the links between population dynamics and sustainability, and identify carrying capacities. Poor health is often a military issue of poverty, especially in developing countries. Agenda 21 recommends that every national health programme should provide for the development of basic health care facilities with emphasis on training of doctors, nurses and other personnel, strengthen immunization programmes to control communicable diseases, and provide specific healthcare measures for the most vulnerable groups, including infants, women and indigenous peoples.(iv) Human Settlements. Migration towards the urban centers has been continuously increasing and the towns and cities are overcrowded with people. Slums have expanded and basic facilities such(prenominal) as run of clean drinking wet, sanitation and sewerage facilities, healthy living conditions, etc., are becoming just. Traffic congestion, poor air quality, waste dumping and unhygienic conditions have multiplied in most cities. Agenda 21 calls for appropriate urban renewal projects and transportation strategies, the provision of price of admission to land, and credit and low cost building materials for the poor. Migration to big cities can be reduced only by improving living conditions and employment opportunities in rural areas and Agenda 21 lays stress on the development of the rural areas.(v) Atmospheric Protection. The atmosphere can be protected by reducing emissions to it. For this purpose, Agenda 21 calls for action in the energy production sector, transport and industry, through the promotion and development of energy expeditious programmes, regional energy plans, public-awareness campaigns of environmentally sound energy systems, and research into more fuel-efficient transport systems.(vi) Ecosystems. Ecosystem conservation and protection is considered as a major item in sustainable development. For this purpose, Agenda 21 calls for governments, business houses and NGOs to introduce programmes of afforestation, reforestation, and sustainable land use and piddle resource management. The education programmes should be reoriented towards environmentally sustainable resource management.(vii) Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. While agriculture should yield enough food for the rising population, the farming practic es should not lead to land erosion, desertification and deforestation. Current methods of farming, curiously in developing countries, should be carefully examined and unhealthy practices should be discontinued. Agenda 21 urges the development of long-term land conservation and rehabilitation programmes, by load-bearing(a) people to invest for the future through land ownership.(viii) Conservation of Biological Diversity and Management of Biotechnology. Habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution and introduction of foreign species are recognized as the main factors behind loss of biodiversity. Agenda 21 calls for governments to undertake national biodiversity assessment programmes and formulate strategies to conserve the existing biological diversity without foster damage.(ix) Protecting and Managing the Oceans and Fresh Water. Agenda 21 calls for nations to develop policies, which address unsustainable fishing practices, the creation of marine protection zones, and the survei llance and enforcement of fisheries regulations. The agenda further requires that the National water management practices are integrated into economic and social policies. Agenda 21 sets 2025 as the realistic target date for ensuring universal water supplies, and to develop affordable services, which can be built and maintained at the community level.(x) Managing Wastes. Agenda 21 calls for an international strategy to manage the production and disposal of wastes, including hazardous waste, secure waste and sewage, and radioactive waste. Governments should encourage and assist industry in achieving cleaner production technologies, and promote changes in lifestyles, production and consumption, through recycling and fund public education initiatives. Countries, which generate nuclear waste, should adopt an integrated approach to the safe management, transportation, storage and disposal of radioactive wastes.(xi) Implementing Sustainable Development. All nations will have to make pol itical, social and economic commitments to ensure that the Agenda 21 can be properly implemented and that necessary resources are available for the same. The Agenda asks international livelihood organizations such as the International Development Association and the Global Environment Facility to help developing countries in meeting additional expenses in implementing all measures required for sustainable development. Developed countries should help promote the transfer of technology to developing countries.It is necessary to monitor the implementation of Agenda 21. Laws should be enacted to secure a balance between the needs for development and environmental protection. The main objectives should include international standards in environmental protection taking into account the different situations and abilities of man-to-man countries review of all environmental laws making them more effective and measures to avoid or settle international disputes.Meeting the aims and objective s of Agenda 21 within the condemnation frame established by the 1992 Earth Summit will pose great social, economic and technological difficulties, both for developing and developed nations. The development that has been witnessed during the twentieth century has brought unprecedented changes to biodiversity, the atmosphere and global climate. These are to be reversed. The new challenge for todays society is to ensure that future development and the use of the Earths resources is managed in a sustainable way, and in every action, the quality of life is preserved for generations of the 21st century and beyond.For sustainable development, human population growth has to be controlled. Otherwise, no cheat and development in science and technology will be able to prevent irreversible degradation of the natural environment and to alleviate continued poverty in gargantuan parts of the world. The natural and social sciences will be crucial in developing new options for limiting population growth, protecting the natural environment, and improving the quality of human life. These should be the perspectives in all short and long term planning for all governments so that the challenges of the present and the future can be adequately addressed.6.2 Urban problems related to energy useWith massive urbanization occurring on a global scale, the state of the environment and human health in the cities of the world has become a prime concern. It is estimated that by the year 2025, over fin thousand million people will be living in the cities. In the developing countries of the world, already more than 200 cities have populations of one million or more. Living in cities has many positive benefits, such as increased job opportunities and better access to essential services and facilities. However, many environmental, health and development problems have reached near-crisis dimensions in cities all over the world. Urban growth has exposed populations to near environmental hazard s and has outstripped the capacity of municipal and local governments to provide even basic amenities (water, sanitation, power) and essential health services. Millions of people in the urban areas of developing countries are living under life- and health-threatening conditions. Cities have a significant impact on the broader hinterland and global environment and the fate of cities will have a major influence on the fate of nations and of the planet.Poverty and healthDespite the unprecedented creation of wealth worldwide in the last(prenominal) two decades, the number of people living in absolute poverty is growing steadily. Poverty remains the number one killer, with the poor bearing a disproportionate share of the global burden of ill health. The poor live in unsafe and overcrowded housing, often in semi-urban and urban slums, with practically no access to safe water or to sewerage. These people are also exposed to pollution, traffic and industrial and other risks at home, at wor k or in their communities, much more than the wealthy people living in the same cities. They have insufficient food that too of poor quality from the point of nutrition. even so in rich countries, the poor suffer worse health than do the better off. Children are particularly affected in the poorest regions of the world, one in five children dies before his or her first birthday, mostly from environment-related diseases such as acute respiratory infections, diarrhea and malaria. Not only are children more heavily and often exposed to threats to their health in the environment, but also they are more vulnerable to the ill effects on health. For example, in the USA and parts of Europe, lead poisoning illustrates the unequal burden of risk borne by poor inner-city children, who are more heavily exposed to sources of lead in and around the home and are also more affected by the toxicity of lead.Energy consumptionCompared to the rural areas, people in towns and cities consume large amou nt of energy. For example, the old example of Indian houses were made of woodwind instrument, mud and unburnt bricks which required very little temperature adjustments and consequently very little energy was required for heating and cooling. The present buildings in towns and cities are mostly made of concrete, cement, steel, aluminium, marble, well-burnt bricks and glass. These materials are energy intensive and the houses made with them require a lot of power to keep them comfortable during the winter and the summer and also for lighting and decoration. The process of manufacture of these materials also consumes enormous amount of energy in different forms.At earlier times, people used fuel wood or charcoal in kitchens for making food and also in the living rooms for heating. This did not create any environmental problem such as that of smoke because the houses had separate kitchens at a distance from the main living quarters and the houses were tall having provision of chimneys. This is no longer possible in todays housing blocks where the living quarters are not separated from the kitchens the RCC structure does not allow having tall roofs and also chimneys. Therefore the fuel type has to be changed as otherwise there will be serious smoke and associated health problems. Kerosene replaced firewood and charcoal as the favourite fuel for the urban homes. after kerosene gave way to natural gas and electricity during the 1970s. The dependence on firewood has continued in the rural areas particularly for people living in the distributed areas of the foothills and the forests. Newer tools of comfort came to be used in the urban centers. The use of electric fans during the summer has become a common practice but the effluent has at peace(p) for air-conditioning in their houses. As the houses have become almost like glass towers and since glass is a very bad conductor of heat, this has created problem of large temperature diversion between outside and inside o f a house requiring much energy to be spent on air-conditioning. Additional energy need has become necessary for running the lifts and operating a large number of other gadgets of modern lifeThe other major urban energy need is for transport. The towns and cities are roaming with buses, trucks, cars, two- and three-wheelers all of which depend on fossil fuels, namely petrol and diesel. The number of vehicles has increased at a very fast rate during the last few years despite the higher price of fuel. Small, narrow and improperly maintained roads and overcrowding have further aggravated the problem. Traffic congestion has become a serious problem in all urban areas. Slower moving vehicles burn more fuel and thereby the energy efficiency is further reduced. This has also given rise to problems of carbon monoxide pollution, smog and other environmental problems affecting peoples health particularly through various respiratory diseases. Time has come to design an efficient public trans port system, which will lead to substantial energy saving, minimize congestion and reduce pollution problems.6.3 Water conservation, rainwater harvesting, and watershed managementAll living organisms need water, plants use it in photosynthesis, humans and other animals drink it, and aquatic plants and animals live in it. Water also plays an important part in many natural and human processes and is a critical component of countless physical and chemical reactions. It also supports many economic activities. The amount of water in the world has remained constant. In fact, water hasnt changed in amount or nature for millions of years. It just keeps cycling and recycling from atmosphere to earth and back again. Freshwater is a precious resource as it makes up less than 3% of the earths total water resources. Because freshwater is so limited and plays such a key role in world health, economies, and environmental stability, it must be conserved and used in a sustainable manner.The efficien t use of water implies doing more with less. Efficiencies can be gained in all sectors, including agriculture, municipal, domestic, and industry. Central to a successful water conservation program are an understanding ofThe water resource itself (baseline data and monitoring)How, when, and wherefore water is used (water audits and metering)The full cost of providing water of suitable quality and disposing of wastewaterAlternative water-efficient technologies, processes, and practicesAttitudes and values related to water and the environment.Public education and awareness are necessary in implementing water conservation. However, they may need to be supplemented by appropriate legislation and regulations and economic incentives and disincentives, including consumption-based pricing.Demand for more water has been very common. This demand can be reduced by careful planning. This involves the following measuresMore-efficient irrigation systemsDrought-resistant cultivars and crop rotati onsMore-efficient livestock watering systemsWater metering and charging for waterUse of effluent and wastewater for irrigationHousehold water conservation.The water resources have to be carefully managed through the following stepsDividing water resources into various divisions for effective supplyLaying a network of supply pipelinesBuilding reservoirs for storing waterIncreasing water availability through groundwater extractionTreatment of wastewaters and making arrangement for their reuseReducing losses through seepage and evaporation.Managing Excess Water. Sometimes, more water is available than the actual need. In such cases, the management of the excess water can be achieved by taking it to deficient areas through drainMany agricultural areas are low lying or located in flood plains and require drainage to be profitable. Good drainage improves plant growth and crop productivity, helps to reduce soil salinity and erosion, and allows farmers a wider selection of crops and a lon ger growing season, all of which help to reduce the costs of production.There are two types of artificial drainage system muster up and subsurface. Surface systems may contribute to declining water quality in watercourses by releasing drainage water containing sediments, nutrients, and chemicals. Subsurface systems release substances that leach through the soil, such as nitrate, pesticides, and bacteria.Drainage systems can also qualify the environment by draining wetlands, removing riparian zones, increasing runoff, and changing a regions hydrology. Proper design and maintenance of drainage systems may alleviate some of these effects, but lost riparian and wetland systems are usually difficult and expensive to replace.On-farm drainage systems are not able to handle large volumes of stormwater received from developed uplands. aright designed regional drainage systems may be needed to protect lowland agricultural areas. Even so, damage from major floods cannot always be prevented. Maintaining good Water SuppliesA sufficient supply of good quality water is needed for agricultural activities such as irrigation and livestock watering, as well as for domestic, municipal, industrial, recreational, and other uses. Water needs to be conserved for the lean periods such as drought. Droughts are very common but difficult to predict. They occur most often in dry out regions, but other regions may also have shorter, less serious periods of drought. Drought threatens both crop and livestock production. With the potential threat of global warming and increasing trends in population, urbanization, and consumptive use, the impacts of drought can become more serious.The development of storage reservoirs is essential for maintaining adequate year-around supplies, particularly during the dry season. Groundwater is an important source of water and although the groundwater level goes down during the dry season, sufficient water can be extracted for meeting different needs. Sus tainable use of groundwater resources depends on withdrawing water at rates that do not exceed recharge rates. Deep aquifers recharged only by water filtering through superimposed materials are particularly at risk of over-withdrawals.Measures have been taken throughout the world for reuse of wastewater at least for irrigation and other non-drinking uses. An adequate supply of good-quality water available round the year is essential for all human activities. Concerns continue to mount regarding the availability of water as demands and competition for water grow in all sectors of society. Management of water supplies must consider all competing uses of water, including those associated with agriculture, industry, municipalities, recreation, and aquatic ecosystems.DroughtDrought is a prolonged period of abnormally dry weather that depletes water resources. Because most human activities and ecosystems are dependent on reliable and adequate water resources, the impacts of drought are f ar reaching. Drought affects our lives byPutting stress on water and food suppliesDegrading the environment through poorer water quality and more forest fires, soil erosion, and insect infestations modify the economy by reducing the capacity for agricultural production, power generation, transportation, and manufacturing,Causing soil moisture deficit in farmland soils and thereby threatening both crop and livestock production resulting in severe financial losses to farmers.Global warming scenarios predict that unless the warming is controlled, the frequency and severity of drought will increase and the occurrence will be unpredictable with respect to time and location.Three basic types of drought may occur separately or simultaneouslyMeteorological drought occurs when precipitation is significantly below normal over a long period.Agricultural drought occurs when low soil moisture and scarce water supplies stunt crop growth, reduce crop yields, and endanger livestock.Hydrological dro ught occurs when a lengthy meteorological drought causes a sharp drop in the levels of groundwater, rivers, and lakes.The timing of a drought may determine its effects. For example, summer drought usually causes more problems because it coincides with the time of highest water demand. It is to be noted that drought is the result of several factors such asBelow normal precipitationExtended hot dry airAlready low soil moisture.Because of this complexity, a large range of climatic and hydrological variables are needed to monitor and detect drought, including temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, stream flows, and water supply conditions. The serious impacts of drought call for an integrated effort from the physical, biological, and social sciences to develop effective responses.Surface water managementSurface water management requires effective measures to control the extremes of floods and droughts, while maintaining a reliable water supply to meet the basic needs of human life a nd the demands of economic development. Because of the high degree of variability of precipitation, water storage is a must to provide a year-round supply of water. The storage in the form of reservoirs, dams, dugouts, and natural lakes has been a common practice. A significant challenge to water managers is locating surface water supplies relative to that of water users. Water users (domestic, municipal, agricultural, and industrial) usually require a number of resources and services and are not always located near the water sources. Providing a reliable supply of water to users often requires distribution networks consisting of canals and pipelines.WetlandsWetlands are areas saturated with water for long enough to significantly alter soil and plant life and promote aquatic processes. The five main types of wetlands-bogs, fens, swamps, marshes, and shallow water-are characterized byA seasonal or permanent covering of shallow waterA water table at or near the surface for most of th e growing seasonSaturated organic soils, or peat, the productivity of which depends on the nutrient place and the pH of the siteWater-loving plants, such as cattails, rushes, reeds, sedges, dogwood, willows, and cedars.Wetlands provide a number of environmental benefits, i.e. theyprovide habitat for wildlife,improve water quality by function as biological filters and mechanical settling and filtering ponds, which help to remove impurities from the water,recharge groundwater,augment low flow in watercourses,serve as a cushion against drought,reduce the risk and damage of flooding by storing large volumes of water during heavy rainfall, rapid thaws, or runoff events, andstabilize shorelines.The other important services rendered by wetlan