Environmental sustainability refers to the point where renewable resource harvesting rate should not surpass that of regeneration and that the decline of non-renewable resources should require the same growth of renewable alternatives. The utilization of natural resources has increased significantly over the past few decades. Environmental sustainability is essential for the preservation of resources by the global community for the future generation (Ostad-Ali et al.). This entails the lowering of economic impacts that might be unfavorable to the environment, as well as designing a business that reduces the use of carbon. The production of cheap and clean energy that is available for all is the primary objective of sustainable development. In her article “The Obligation to Endure,” Carson warns the public about the consequences of modern industrial pollution. Since environmental climate became adverse due to rising economic stability, variants of achieving environmental sustainability emerged, namely human contribution to the ecosystem by removing harmful substances from agriculture and the use of rainwater harvesting systems.
The environmental climate has changed from being conducive to causing many adverse effects on the ecosystems. Manufacturing, which is commonly considered to be continuous development in different types of industries, tends to affect the environment in various ways, which results to change in the atmospheric climatic conditions. These, in turn, affect agriculture; for example, in the regions with manufacturing factories, “the farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs” (Carson 123). Both the manufacturing and processing sectors rely on the environment to attain their raw materials. Industries such as the papermaking industries depend on trees as a source of raw material for their products (Oláh et al.). Consequently, it causes a tremendous decline in the number of trees available globally, and the trees are viewed to be of significance towards the reduction of the amount of carbon dioxide available in the atmosphere. Moreover, the attempts to return the trees and plants are unsuccessful, and their result is “animals have almost invariably gone along with the plants” (Carson 128). Subsequently, there will be developments of harsh environment and climatic change such as heavy rainfall and drought.
The rate of development has increased within various countries to establish a stable economic background. It enables the creation of employment opportunities for individuals, which encourages capitalism to establish firms in various sectors of the globe. The industries mostly dispose of their waste products into large water bodies. Consequently, it results in the existence of chemicals and other metals, which causes tremendous effects on marine creatures. The accumulation of chemicals in the oceans results in oceanic acidification, thus, making the sea inhabitable to marine animals. Yet, “future generations are unlikely to condone our lack of prudent concern for the integrity of the natural world that supports all life” (Carson 129). Hence, humans should develop some solutions for this problem to preserve economic stability and ecological integrity.
One of the approaches in achieving environmental sustainability is by viewing people as a part of the ecosystem, which does not only use natural resources but contributes to the system. For instance, nitrogen is essential for the growth of many crops, and many farmers use nitrogen fertilizer on their farms. Yet, Carson argues that “chemical insecticides must never be used” (129). This is due to the fact that the use of nitrogen fertilizer does not fit into an environmentally safe zone (Oláh et al.). Sustainable agriculture entails a system dedicated to seeking the sustenance of farmers and resources through promoting economically viable and environmentally sound farming practices. When farmers spread nitrogen fertilizers on their farms, some is washed into water bodies and fed on by bacteria. After the bacteria feeds on the nitrogen, they emit nitrous oxide into the atmosphere (Oláh et al.). The gas has global warming latent almost three hundred times that of carbon dioxide. There have been many attempts to control nitrogen fertilizers’ contribution to global warming; however, it has not been a simple task. The rate of application of nitrogen in farming determines the amount of nitrous oxide released into the atmosphere. Therefore, to reduce the rate of nitrous oxide production, farmers must minimize the number of nitrogen fertilizers they apply to their farms. Unfortunately, not many farmers are willing to do this as it would reduce their profits.
Another example of human integration into the local ecosystem can be seen in the Rajasthan rainwater harvesting system. The farmers managed to provide irrigation for the crops across the year by building small earthen dams called Johads. Those dams captured rainwater, which soaked into the aquifer and, therefore, was saved from evaporating (Singh and Bhakar). With the introduction of drill technology, people started to abandon Johads and make wells as deep as possible. By doing that, the underground water level decreased and dehydrated the ecosystem in the area. The situation changed with reintroducing the practice of rainwater harvesting in Johads. After seven months, the first monsoon season came and refilled the new pond. This inspired the community to continue the restoration of their abandoned rainwater harvesting system. Johads ended a vicious cycle of lowering levels of groundwater (Singh and Bhakar). Serving the ecosystem is a strategy that can help humanity achieve environmental sustainability and ensure its long-term well-being.
In conclusion, integration into the natural ecosystem is a vital step in nature preservation. The high rate of environmental degradation that is being experienced globally is caused by capitalist activities, which are continuously conducted in various sectors of the globe. Preferably, the government and various ecological authorities need to come together and formulate environmental policies and laws and ensure their implementation. Through this, they will be able to curb the effects of capitalism on the environment and hence decreasing environmental destruction.
Works Cited
Carson, Rachel. “The Obligation to Endure.” The Ecological Design and Planning Reader. Island Press, Washington, DC, 2014. 122-130.
Oláh, Judit, et al. “Impact of Industry 4.0 on Environmental Sustainability.” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 11, 2020, p. 4674.
Ostad-Ali-Askar, et al. “Water Resources and ClimateCchange.” Journal of Water and Climate Change, vol. 9, no. 2, 2018, p. 239.
Singh, Ajit Pratap, and Prashant Bhakar. “Development of Groundwater Sustainability Index: A Case Study of Western Arid Region of Rajasthan, India.” Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, vol. 23, no. 2, 2021, pp. 1844-1868.