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What do we mean by Sustainability?
Sustainability is a characteristic of a process that can be maintained at a given level indefinitely, without degradation, impact or harm to the environment.
Extending the longevity of vital human ecological support systems, such as the world's climate, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and manufacturing industries by ensuring that the cycles of production include a replenishment or renewal phase. Where not only the source resources of production are allowed to regenerate, but the byproducts of the production process are either recycled or minimized to such a degree that they have no material net impact on the environment at all.
Problems deriving from human activity occur when the demand for resources outstrips the ability for the system to replenish themselves, and where the byproducts of production are produced at such a rate the environmental impact leaves the system no longer in balance.
The result is the exhaustion of resources and the decline in overall environmental quality (Pollution).
Carbon Dioxide is regarded as a pollutant because its movement around the planet via the normal Carbon Cycle has been impacted by rapid Industrialization. So more CO2 is present in the upper atmosphere than normally would be if the cycle was in its steady state.
Because CO2 absorbs infrared radiation from the sun, less is reflected back into space and so the temperature of the planet will rise having an impact on our climate system unless and until it is brought back to a level of stability.
So do we have to return to our pre-industial way of living to return to a Sustainable way of life? No, fortunately our ingenuity as a species and our inherent knack of problem solving give us some insights into how we might solve this issue.
Leveraging a combination of technological advances along side, difficult political and economic choices make at least partial recovery from this situation possible. But it requires Education and Action on a massive scale that can only really be achieved through legislation and engagement by everyone.
At all levels Sustainability is about both reducing the human impact on our environment and living within our means in terms of consumption and renewal.
In a nutshell it's about:-
- Reducing our Rate of Consumption.
- Use of Renewable rather than Exhaustible Resources where Practical
- Reducing Pollutants from our Activity.
- Replenishing Renewable Resources Directly or Indirectly
