Sustainable Utilization of Environmental Resources - Essay Example

? Environmental sustainability Task: Environmental sustainability Question 4 Conservation of marine biodiversity is part of the pursuit to attain sustainability in natural resource use. Marine protected zones are exclusive areas of controlled and limited human access and marine resource extraction activities. However, conflicts may occur pertaining to the conservation of recreational and commercial fishers. These highly protected reserves exclusive of any human activity that may interrupt with the environment. Contrasts occur in the determination of areas of recreation conservation and that of commercial fishing. Recreation fishing is a relatively recent idea although continues to gain dominance. Commercial fishing, on the contrary is exploitative and deeply rooted since it started long before recreational fishing. Confusion emanates from what is the scale of consideration that separates the two concepts. The extent of diversity to consider when outlining the distinction between the two practices remains a serious conflict. Although commercial fishing entails a high level harvesting of fish species, recreational fishing continue to increase regarding the scale of exploitation of fish species (Cooke & Cowx, 2006). It, therefore, remains confusing to determine the level of exploitation that defines the two concepts. Another conflicting area of consideration is the selection of fish that the two should distinctly have focus. Undefined categories of species that commercial fishing and recreational fishing should concentrate on remains to be a source of conflicting ideas. The technology applied in the two fishing techniques should be different. Conventionally, recreational fishing should not apply technologies that involve high extraction levels. This has not been so though since recreational fishing technologies tend to improve to be more extractive than expected. This is a source of conflict in marine resource conservation. Question 5 Buildings utilize a considerable amount of energy utilized for domestic purposes. Sustainable construction has a major goal of improving the use of energy that buildings consume. It aims at setting up sustainable materials as well as sustainable energy source for the buildings to reduce possible environmental effects of the building to minimum levels. Environmental sustainability as a focus of sustainable building entails improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Installation of solar panels in buildings in buildings continues to gain dominance as a sustainable building strategy. Solar panels utilize solar energy. This is a renewable energy source, a factor that renders the use of solar panels efficient as a source of energy in buildings. Sustainability proponents advocate for the adoption of renewable energy sources as contrary to non-renewable sources. Houses with installed solar panels use minimal energy from the main grid since they utilize solar power. Electrical energy converted by the solar panels is useful for heating and running in-house machines. This saves on electricity tapped from the main grid. The effectiveness of energy conversion by solar panels by reduces from the influence of dusts. Detergents used to clean the dust may cause environmental effects. The introduction of panels that have self-cleaning mechanisms also increases the energy efficiency. Besides promoting energy efficiency, self-cleaning panels also reduce the use of cleaning detergents that may have associated environmental effects. The use of solar panels as a source of energy is a move to promote the utilization of renewable energy. Renewable energy use is essential among the various strategies to promote sustainability. Question 6 Sustainable management of waste is vital engagement in promoting sustainability. Waste from minerals and mining industry contribute to a high percentage of wastes. Waste from demolition and construction contribute to a higher pollution of the environment. Municipal waste management strategies are critical as a development area to promote environmental sustainability. The capacity of landfills in most cities continues to reduce. Landfills can be a great source of energy. A case study of a plant at Ardley that received notable public interest was undertaken. The proposal of the plant received opposition with those against it pointing at the potential pollution effects of the plant. The application for the plant highlighted that there shall be continues monitoring to reduce the pollution effects. A discussion of waste management hierarchy was important if sensitization of waste management. The hierarchy promotes waste reduction as the best alternative. Reuse and then recycling are the next best alternatives respectively. Extraction of energy from waste is the last option before disposal. The goals of sustainability were evident in the discussion on week seven. Brookes undertake sustainability as part commitment to the reduction of environmental effects. Sustainability initiatives include rainwater harvesting. To conserve energy, communal water boilers act as a preference to several kettles used by individuals. Sustainable water use is also important as a sustainability strategy. London Brookes intends to reduce the level of carbon production. Sustainable transport helps improve sustainability. Air and noise pollution emanates from local transport. Road traffic has associated environmental implications as urban decay and carbon emissions. Transport should focus on accessibility, as opposed to mobility. Behavior transition is important in ensuring sustainable transport. Question 7 Achieving environmental sustainability entails the collective roles of diverse stakeholders. The role of communities in promoting environmental sustainability is plausible and can show a way forwards for other stakeholders. It is noteworthy that various initiatives to promote sustainability are effected at the community level. UNEP recognizes the importance of integration of community programs as a response to climate change. Development processes directly affect the livelihoods of community members. Involving communities in developments can form a platform for governments and other stakeholders to promote sustainability. Community driven projects as a forestation and reforestation programs can play a central role in challenging the government by offering support to such communities as financial assistance. Achieving agriculture that promotes natural resource conservation is most achievable through community partnerships. According to FAO (2013), there is a vast need to ensure agricultural programs that are environmentally compatible and aims to combat climate change. Communities can initiate programs to ensure agriculture that promotes the conservation of the environment. Governments and other stakeholders, in turn, shall take up the challenge to promote the various programs through avenues as provision of technical support. The business community, through various cooperate social responsibility programs, can sponsor programs that act as a demonstration of climate-friendly agriculture. Governments, as a response to the challenge posed by such community programs, can consider several policy frameworks to ensure the promotion of community initiatives that enhance sustainability. As identified by the transition network, communities can challenge several other stakeholders including governments, the business society and NGOs to contribute to efforts that ensure sustainability through their small programs. Question 8 Meadow is one of the grasslands near Oxford that covers an approximate area of nearly eighteen acres. It acts as a good habitat and home to birds and animals. The pledge to make Meadow a town green began in 2006 after the Oxfordshire County Council received an application on the subject. A public inquiry on the issue commenced in 2007, under the chair of Vivian Chapman. Attaining a town green condition implied no development on the land, and it was under preservation for the upcoming generation. The application submitted by local residents received an objection from Oxfordshire and OBMH. Supporters of the application highlighted that they had used the area for recreation for a period of over twenty years. Protecting the area, according to supporters of the case, would be a step to protecting its wild animals and aesthetic value. Those in opposition of the decision claimed that the area was never under use as a cattle-grazing area. They submitted that the area was a full shrub land, as opposed to the supporters’ claims of the area being grassland. Following the recommendations of Vivian Chapman, the area acquired a town green status. The decision to grant Meadow the state of a town green was well-informed and right. The area was important to the local people, for a period of 20 years (Chapman 2008, p.72) and rightfully left for informal recreational activities. From the evidence submitted to Chapman, the claims of the parties that opposed the move were unsatisfactory to prevent the area from protection and its declaration as a town green. Question 9 Sustainable management of water resources is one of the vital objectives of sustainable development. A case study of Tianjin is shows the effectiveness of sustainable management of water resources to improve the life of urban population. Located on the northern parts of the country and near, Beijing, Tianjin is one of the highly populated countries likely to face the challenge of fresh water shortage. Being and industrial center, Tianjin’s water demand exceeds that needed by the population alone but also for industrial purposes. The realization of a decrease in the level of water available to the population of Tianjin prompted the adoption of water conservation strategies in the city. The high demand for water for industrial and human use encouraged the decision to ensure water rationing. This lowered the per capita consumption level of water in Tianjin, on a daily basis. Industrial utilization of water improved. The municipality introduced penalties for industries that exceeded the recommended per capita level of water use on a daily basis (Bai & Imura 2001, p.30). Adjustments to the structure of industries were a vital step in the management of water resources. These ensured that industries adopted production strategies that promoted conservation of water resources. Adjustment of industries decreased the level of water withdrawn from sources. This ensured the conservation of water sources. The Tianjin case study is central in addressing the necessity to ensure control of water resources utilized for industrial purposes. This also helps to protect the social welfare of the population that lives in urbanizing areas. The increase in water competition because of the demand from the population and industries is a great challenge to the management of the resource. Question 10 Sustainable development entails undertaking activities that ensure the satisfaction of the current generation's needs and ensure the capability of the future generation to gain satisfaction is not under a compromised situation (Elliott 2012, p. 9). Sustainable utilization of environmental resources is a key factor in ensuring sustainability. Since the 1972 key environmental forum at Stockholm, a significant number of legislation promote and policies sustainable development. Despite these efforts, there are questions as to the ability to attain sustainable development. There are serious challenges towards the achievement of sustainable development, on a global scale. However, sustainable development is a feasible idea. Should all countries, developed and developing, embrace the requirements stated in agenda 21, sustainable development can be easy to achieve. Agenda 21 stands at the center of achieving the goals of sustainability. The only prerequisite to achieving sustainable development is a world political system dedicated to implementing the blueprint to attaining sustainability, agenda 21. Favorable political will is important in ensuring the adoption of agenda 21 in national policies and legislation. Most countries, apparently, have credible strategies to the fulfillment of agenda 21. This shows the likelihood of achieving the objectives of agenda 21. The determination to enhance control on development by various countries is a sign of the possibility of achieving present development without interfering with the ability of future generation to attain development. The cooperation among countries, on a global scale, joined by the determination to protect the environment is a sign that it is possible to have sustainable development. References Bai, X & Imura, H 2001, Towards Sustainable Urban Water Resource Management: A Case Study In Tianjin, China, Sustainable Development, vol. 9, pp. 24–35. Chapman, V 2008, In the Matter of an Application to Register Warneford Meadow, Oxford, as a New Town Green 59858/VRC/08/125/wp/273/Warneford Report v5. Report to Oxfordshire County Council on 15th October. Retrieved from: http://www.friendsofwarnefordmeadow.org.uk/files/warneford/home/Warneford_Report_v5_PD_edited.pdf Cooke, S & Cowx, I 2006, Contrasting recreational and commercial fishing: searching for common issues to promote unified conservation of fisheries resources and aquatic environments, Biological conservation, vol.128, Iss.1, pp. 93-108. Elliott, J 2012, An introduction to sustainable development, Routledge, New York, NY. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 2013, Climate-Smart Agriculture for Development, Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved from; http://www.fao.org/climatechange/climatesmart/en/ Read More