Issues concerning Sustainability | Need for Sustainable Environment

Issues concerning Sustainability

Holistic approach to the issue of sustainability is required. Understanding the importance of the development of sustainable environment is very important.

What is Sustainable Development?

Sustainable Development is important for the environmental stability of our Mother Earth… The main focus of Sustainable Development is to preserve the natural resources and use them very cautiously so that we can protect our Mother Earth from devastation…!!

The definition is based on two concepts:

1. The concept of needs, comprising of the conditions for maintaining an acceptable life standard for all people, and
2. The concept of limits of the capacity of the environment to fulfil the needs of the present and the future, determined by the state of technology and social organization.

Limitless growth (Misconception)

Change in the perception of the people has to be brought about. Growing at the expense of others is a wrong mindset that most of the developed nations keep.

Confuse capital with income

The vital resource such as oil is taken as a source of income. They do not realize that there is a big difference between capital and income. They have mistaken resource as their income. Hence, it is depleting at a great speed.

Environmental point of view

Case 1

Bangladesh

It was a major exporter of jute. But the invention of plastic and its release into the market brought the jute sales to zero. This led to the economy crash of the country.

Case 2

Malaysia – Rubber

Malaysia was a massive exporter of natural rubber. After the invention and release of chemical rubber, industrial rubber, petrochemical rubber, the market for the natural rubber that Malaysia exported went down. This led to the downfall of the country’s economy.

It took 15 years for Malaysia to regain back its economical stability.

Case 3

Ethiopia

British rulers had made their colonies in Ethiopia. The farmers were forced to plant peanuts. The fields in this country majorly had peanuts plantations. But unfortunately there were no rains for the next four years.

The value of peanuts also crashed in the international market which became a major cause for the downfall of the economy of Ethiopia.

Inspite of the economy crash, people in this country are well off and not starving.

Sustainability Issues related to Industrial Sector

1. Production
2. Marketing
3. Retailing

This whole cycle of Production followed by Marketing and then retailing is one of the factor causing unsustainable environment. The new products come into the market and are discarded and run out of fashion in no time. This produces more and more junk which is responsible for the degradation of the environment.

Culture, tradition and Sustainability

Our Indian culture and tradition supports the concept of sustainability. The old building methods that were employed 60 years ago can be termed as sustainable. The architecture blended with the natural surroundings. Use of local materials and local techniques were employed. Different regions had different types of houses depending on the suitability with respect to the climatic conditions of the place.

It is said, “Earth may survive and regenerate without humans and has all the time to recover while we are running out of time.”