Environment and Sustainability – Do humans have any alternative to planet Earth? Can humans shift to a new land where life is possible? As far as we know, there is no option for survival for humans other than on Earth. Not just humans but no living species can survive without Mother Earth. All the necessary conditions are presented in the Earth’s environment, and it needs only one thing from human beings, sustainable development.
Environmental balance and sustainability are not related to only one field of study; it is presented in art, architecture, science, management, and many more. Each human being has to create their own sustainable approach towards the Earth and its growth. The environment must be preserved for future generations, and human beings need to understand that sustainability is a societal goal. The objective of sustainability is to safely co-exist with a human being on the Earth over a long period. There are many authorities made for sustainable environmental growth, but lack of awareness in a large population of human beings is the main challenge in the implementation of all policies and concepts.
Importance of Environment and Sustainable Development
Many of us naturally go for walks when we’re feeling anxious or disconnected. To feel more at ease and connected to nature, we look for forests, parks, beaches, and back roads. Given this, it is not surprising that a healthy environment is essential to human well-being. Environmental causes that can be avoided are directly or indirectly responsible for about 24% of all human fatalities worldwide. We need and deserve access to clean water to drink, unpolluted air to breathe, and environments free of toxins to live long and healthy lives. We must stop more harm as the world’s population rises and the long-term effects of unsustainable energy use and industrial expansion become more apparent.
It is our responsibility to protect the bio diverse ecosystems of the planet and provide a healthy environment for the next generation. Sustainability in the context of business refers to operating a company in a way that minimizes environmental impact while securing the possibility for future growth. Environmental sustainability can be defined as the act of sustainably engaging with the environment. We take this action to prevent the depletion of natural resources and the threat to the ability of future generations to achieve their basic requirements.
Carbon Footprint and Sustainability | Environment and Sustainability
Intense climate change is a real threat. The science is intricate, and there are still many unanswered questions regarding potential effects in the future. There are decisions that humans can make in day-to-day life to decrease the impact on the environment at the per person level. The total quantity of greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacture, use, and disposal of a good or service is its “carbon footprint.” It consists of gasses including fluorinated gasses, methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide, which trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Carbon dioxide is the gas that humans emit most frequently. The main sources of a person’s carbon footprint are often their transportation, housing, and food. So, it’s the personal environmental impact of humans that contributed through their energy usage at home and other places, traveling mode and distance covered, and composition of diet also.
Architecture and Sustainability
A structure that is designed and constructed in a way that greatly reduces the harm done to the environment and the health of its occupants is said to be practicing sustainable architecture. A sustainably designed building is crucial because it is constructed with less chemically harmful materials and utilizes a great deal less long-term energy and water. Many of the techniques and ideas utilized in sustainable design have their origins in traditional building methods that underwent significant change throughout the industrial revolution with the introduction of new materials and mass production.
The anniversary of the first Earth Day, the global environmental movement, and the subsequent laws that it triggered around the world are all responsible for the present awareness of the need for sustainable design. Sustainable design currently makes up a relatively small part of all global construction, despite innovations, breakthroughs, and rising public awareness about the need for greener building approaches. Furthermore, considering the status of the globe today, many experts think the idea of sustainability is no longer relevant.
Regenerative architecture and design, a much more forward-thinking holistic approach that focuses on utilizing the world’s natural resources to create structures and systems capable of self-regenerating themselves and completely disintegrating when they have served their purpose, is what they insist is the way to go.
Conclusion: Meaning of Environment Sustainability
In the known universe there is only one place that is supportive/conducive to the existence of humans and other living creatures. Most humans are unaware of the threat that has evolved through unstable development. The non-sustainable growth is affecting the environment of the world. Global warming and the greenhouse gas effect are the result of environmental damage day by day. Sustainability cannot be achieved in a single day and by only the effort of one person but it is the responsibility of each person to carry out their lives in a manner that doesn’t damage the Earth. Environmental sustainability means a healthy planet where humans respect the conditions of ecology and provide sustainable development from time to time by framing the conditions of the environment. Life is precious for not only humans but for Mother Earth also.
“We must gift a healthy Earth to our next generation” – Author
Reference list:
Sphera (2020). What Is Environmental Sustainability? [online] Sphera. Available at: https://sphera.com/glossary/what-is-environmental-sustainability/.
Inspire (2021). Environmental Sustainability Definition & Examples. [online] Inspire Clean Energy. Available at: https://www.inspirecleanenergy.com/blog/sustainable-living/environmental-sustainability-definition.
The Spruce. (n.d.). What Is Sustainable Architecture? [online] Available at: https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-sustainable-architecture-4846497.
Albeck-Ripka, L. (2018). How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint. The New York Times. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/year-of-living-better/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint.
Image list
- Sustainable Development Goals.
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/12/sustainable-development-goals-kick-off-with-start-of-new-year/
- Positive and Negative Impact of the environment on the Earth. Developed by Mohd Afzal Khan (2020)
- Sustainable Approach in Architecture. https://mcessex.co.uk/2020/06/05/sustainable-architecture-and-environmental-design-on-world-environment-day-5th-june/
- Healthy and Sick Earth. https://www.shutterstock.com/search/healthy-earth
