A cursory glance | Environmental Issues
“There’s one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent threat of a changing climate.” — Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States.
Everything that encircles an entity, built and unbuilt, creates an unintended consequence of its being. There is an overwhelming level of complexity, structure, and delicacy in the natural world, and the sustainability of its existence makes it even more perplexing. Imagining the possibility that the future doesn’t exist and leads to the death of humanity is itself an eye-opener, increasing awareness of the ongoing ecological problems and environmental issues around us that are impacting the economic and social culture. With the convergence of diverse approaches, the extensive incursion of natural calamities, rapidly varying temperatures of the atmosphere, and many more changes in the climatic conditions are the significant of massive shifts in the earth’s geological timeline. Observing and understanding the evolution of our planet’s natural systems is essential to address the perpetually changing nature of the environment. While the climatic crisis has many aspects that actively and passively aggravate environmental issues, some demand more attention than others. Ozone layer depletion, global warming from fossil fuels, melting ice caps and rising sea levels, food and water wastage, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, air and plastic pollution, agricultural land malpractices, overfishing, etc some major concerns exhausting the natural being on earth.
Our world is at stake and on the brink of an extreme environmental crisis. This makes it more susceptible to natural disasters and severe conditions beyond man’s control. Thus, understanding and actively taking measures to avoid reaching that degree of extremity is critical. These global environmental issues are an undisputed fact of humankind. With an intent of growth, betterment, and advancement but inadvertently ignoring its outcome, human activities have become the dominant culprit of the environmental crisis that the world is encountering in the present day. Urbanization, overpopulation, ignorance of sustainability, and several other human factors are peaking daily, worsening the environmental issues. There is no “one major reason” for it. Likewise, there is no “one solution” to this multifaceted crisis. One thing leads to the creation of five more climate issues. This climatic emergency requires attention from every individual at a personal level to address it globally.
From a professional perspective, buildings and infrastructure are hugely complicit. Construction and architecture utilize about 36% of global energy, followed by the automobile industry, mainly impacting the environment and contributing to the worldwide crisis. Ed Mazria, an architect in Santa Fe, New Mexico, founded Architecture 2030, a nonprofit initiative to change the global built environment from the vital contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a significant part of the reversal of the climate crisis, reducing the CO2 emissions by 40%. The choice of materials, construction process, carbon footprint, energy efficiency, sustainability, design, orientation, fenestrations, and finishes all reflect and contribute significantly and are responsible for creating and helping reduce the effects of these environmental issues. While most people have accepted that humans have tragedic changes in the earth and its atmosphere, complete acceptance of the idea has not been embraced. Entering the age of Anthropocene and not working towards its reversal is a significant issue.
Architects and designers are now shifting focus to tackle these complex challenges innovatively. Utmost importance is given to minimizing the environmental impacts while not compromising the quality and experience of the space. Reduced consumption of non-renewable resources and promoting renewable energy resources are the prerequisite for sustainable design. The most common assumption of a green building or a self-sustaining structure is not just planting trees around the periphery, putting solar panels, and calling it a day. An environment-friendly design is not just a technical fix but an art to be integrated into the design course. There is a distinct process to achieving sustainability and making the most of each site. Significant initiatives have been undertaken to ensure energy-efficient building throughout all construction phases. Encouraging and motivating young and present designers to adopt this change as a habit is a significant motive for rewarding and facilitating them in terms of certification, recognition, licensing, etc. But this cannot be achieved only by architects and space planners. A collaborative effort from each sector and each individual is mandatory. Like the ripple effect, the effect of the slightest impact creates many more. From our oceans being polluted and turning hypoxic to acid rains to land pollution to deforestation to the greenhouse effect, and much more, they are all a loop intertwined with each other. There is a limitless pool of unknowns that we are yet to explore and understand about the natural environment; Climate change and the environmental crisis of the present scenario are the reckonings from the past driving us humans to adapt and design a sustainable future creatively.
Reference :
- Architecture’s Carbon Problem – Blue print for better
https://blueprintforbetter.org/articles/architectures-carbon-problem/
- 20 Environmental Problems That Our World is Facing Today – Rinkesh
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/15-current-environmental-problems.php
- https://www.energetskiportal.rs/en/the-impact-of-architecture-on-the-environment/
- How the Architecture Industry Is Reacting to Climate Change – By Elizabeth Stamp
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/climate-change-design-architecture
- Global Environmental Issues- S Vijay Anand. Department of Tourism, School of Management, Pondicherry University
https://www.omicsonline.org/scientific-reports/srep632.php