Environmental Sustainability - Essay Example

R.PREETI 10 /5/2008 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY The environment around us is the most important aspect of our lives, since it provides us with every possible source and means that go into the sustenance of life. However, the environment itself is in a deteriorating condition today and this can lead to fatal and life-wrecking consequences that could affect the human race adversely. Therefore, now numerous calls to retain our precious environment's glory are being made---these calls echo with one phrase---'Sustain our environment'.

Sustainability is a characteristic of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. "Sustainability means using, developing and protecting resources at a rate and in a manner that enables people to meet their current needs and also provides that future generations can meet their own needs."(www.ezinearticles.com) When the aspect of Environmental Sustainability comes into the picture, numerous environmentalists have given numerous sets of causes, impact and effects, that have contributed and led to environmental degradation.

Numerous environmentalists have been discussing various causes for the degradation and the major three of them are discussed here.Firstly, the concept of growth of population is one of the main aspects of the various concepts put forth by scientists and environmentalists. It is largely felt that growth in world population has led to the greater demands for resources and has also been creating more and more demands for employment, social services, education, greater political and socio-economic efficacy.

This has indirectly and directly caused the deterioration of the environment, as forests are being cleared, the wild life has been harmed and the entire ecological balance of the planet has been affected. Therefore, many environmentalists feel that we seriously need to take measures to curb this population growth that could hamper our progress, besides causing an irrevocable damage to the environment.Next, many environmentalists and scientists site the concept of the consumer-oriented lifestyle, as a potent cause for this imbalance.

In today's fast paced modern world, luxuries have become needs! The fact that simple food, shelter and clothing are no longer the only factors that are required to lead life, supports this statement. Our other needs that have gained importance today, are Home Maintenance, Consumption, Travel and Transport and the like. Demands have increased with rapid industrialisation, commercialisation and the desire to expand the reach of humanity into areas unexplored.

This has led to an imbalance in the environment and has contributed to its deterioration.Finally, besides these two factors, that of accepting ownership or Stewardship is the third issue that has been outlined by environmentalists. Since this is a global occurrence and a problem that has engulfed our entire planet, one cannot possibly point out a single organisation or individual as the one responsible for this occurrence. It is a problem that we need to collectively own up to.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of each and every individual to own up to this and contribute individually and collectively to curb environmental deterioration and degradation; and to protect our planet.Thus, as the final verdict, it is imperative to protect our Mother Earth in order to live happy and healthy and to hand over our planet in a good condition, for the future generations. Therefore, whichever factor is pointed out by environmentalists, it is the result that we bring about that matters, ultimately!

Referenceswww.ezinearticles.comwww.wikipedia.com