Sustainable development refers to developments that allow the present needs to be met without endangering the ability of the next generation to meet the needs. Easier said than done, records showing sustainability appears to be quite poor. It is becoming an urgent matter but still, the world is making a very little progress.
Why? This is because countries rich and poor alike have a perception that sustainability is rather expensive to put into action and will halt development. Developing countries suspect the commitment of developed countries to sustainability. When these developed countries were still developing, they produced a large amount of pollution. After some time, the same countries, now developed, encourage the developing countries to practice sustainability. The developing countries thus question the ‘sustainability’ which they see as a brake to their development.
Our environment needs to be preserved for future generations. First, the clearing of forests must be slowed down or put to a halt. Forests are the lungs of the Earth. They also regulate the climate and moderate the global water cycle. Even if people continue to cut down trees and plants, they can replant new ones. This way forests can be sustained and wood can still be obtained for use. Another way to sustain the forests is recycling. Recycling papers, for example, can help much in reducing deforestation.
More than six billion mouths on the Earth means no small matter. There is a great consumption of the Earth’s resources. Food is definitely a need, but food production has negative effects on the environment. The use of fertilizers and other chemicals destroy the land and cause many other major problems such as pollution and groundwater contamination. By practicing sustainable agriculture, organic farming and other sustainable types of food production, the future will still be safe in the agricultural area.
Atmosphere is one thing that must be sustained. The burning of fuels produces tons of greenhouse gases and this is not a good thing for the atmosphere. By relying less on sources that produces greenhouse gases and using renewable energy like wind power, the world will definitely be a safer place not only for us but also for the future generations.
There are many other areas in which sustainability can be implemented but the main point is that we humans need to mend our ways of living in order to make the world a better place. Currently, the population is using up more than what the world can provide, and if this goes on for a long time and we don’t change, it could mean an end for humanity.
