Sustainability
According to the textbook definition, sustainability is a series of measures that allow us to conserve the existing resources for future generations. Therefore, it can be interpreted as the reasonable use of resources that helps not only to save existing non-renewable resources from extinction but also to develop the strategy that will offer an opportunity to replenish renewable resources. Therefore, sustainability can be seen as a foot forward in people’s relationships with nature, i.e., instead of taking from it without considering the consequences, working on a flexible strategy of resource use.
Like any other theory, sustainability has several basic postulates that make the bulk of it. Usually referred to as three general assumptions, these ideas prevent from viewing nature from a consumerist point of view and suggest a manner of careful treatment of both renewable and especially non-renewable resources, such as soil. One such assumption is that renewable resources management can be changed towards their replenishment. Another assumption is that non-renewable resources can be used reasonably for them to last longer and that people did not have the resources to disappear unexpectedly. Finally, the third assumption is that the negative outcomes of the processes launched by humankind, such as global warming and the following climate change, can be prevented.
Another important notion that requires a definition, the soil is a mixture of eroded rock and organic matter, e.g., plants and humus. Soil does not simply come from mixing earth and some organic matter; a range of factors contribute to soil creation. Among these factors, such processes as rock erosion, climate change from colder to warmer one, organisms, such as leaf litter, the activity of various species that multiply certain chemical elements in the oil or, on the contrary, consume these elements, draining the soil of the latter.
Taking the Indiana soil as an example, one will be able to trace the processes of soil formation more accurately. Due to the specific location of the state (the Midwest of the USA), the soil types range from silty clay to sand or even gravelly sand. Such differences in the soil types across the state can be explained by the effects of natural forces as well as human activities. The latter comes in form of drainage, which contributes to the creation of clay soil types.
Because of the windy weather and dry air, however, sands form in Indiana. Hence, the variety of soil types allows growing both soya beans and corn. The urbanization process, however, can be considered a threat to soil sustainability. Building more houses will lead to the shrinkage of the sand types of soil, which will, in turn, reduce the diversity of the Indiana soil structure.
Environmental Unity
According to what Keller says, Environmental Unity can be defined as a theory presupposing that there is a link between every single element of the environment and that changing one of these elements will inevitably trigger a change in the rest of the elements. Taking soil as an example, one will have to admit that the changes in the soil (e.g., nutrients exhaustion, lack of water, etc.) will necessarily pose a threat of extinction to several plants.
The decrease in the number of the latter will, in turn, lead to the death of animals feeding on these plants. Thus, the mechanism is launched, and the changes in soil trigger the changes in the population of large mammals, possibly including even people. As Keller put it, the principle of environmental unity is that one action triggers the consequences for the entire planet.
The carbon cycle can be referred to as an example of Environmental Unity in action. Though carbon exists in four forms in the natural environment, i.e., as an element of CO2, like coal, diamond, and lead, its cycle can be traced only as of the motion of CO2, CO, and CH in different systems of the Earth, i.e., in the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and even lithosphere. Since several industries emit carbon and its numerous compounds in the atmosphere, the natural carbon cycle changes, which contribute to climate change and the approach of global warming. Also, carbon emissions affect population density.
According to what the map says, the CO2 emissions shape the population density greatly. With the increase in the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere, the number of people in the area starts to shrink. Once CO2 is produced, it clutters the atmosphere, preventing the reflection of the Sun radiation and, therefore, leading to an increase in temperature of the atmosphere. Thus, the planet becomes warm and suitable for life. With the increase of the greenhouse gas concentration, however, global warming becomes a threat.
Although major industries are typically blamed for boosting the global warming process, it is also necessary to keep in mind that each member of society bears an individual responsibility concerning the sustainable use of natural resources, reasonable consumption of the latter, appropriate disposal of waste, and the total energy consumption rate. For example, my energy consumption rates show that I could use the existing resources more reasonably by reducing the number of miles that I drive my vehicle by 10 miles/week. Even though the scale of these changes might seem discouragingly small compared to the one of global warming, when joined together, these efforts are bound to affect. Therefore, I believe that I must reconsider my energy consumption choices.
Not “just a theory”
Another issue that needs to be addressed concerning the problem of people’s influence on the environment is the Scientific Theory (or Law). According to its basic premises, the given theory is a set of ideas concerning the origin of the universe and its further evolution. Though the given ideas remain a theory, mostly because it is impossible to track the history down to the day when the world was created, they have a solid scientific basis to the ground on.
According to the Scientific Theory, the existing species including humans evolved from organisms that were more primitive. In its turn, the Earth had been forming for ions from smaller space objects and dust, which were the result of the Big Bang. Though the given theory is traditionally accepted as the most common explanation of the origin of the world and the existing species, it is essential to keep in mind that the Big Bang Theory is only a concept and that the creationist teachings can be considered just as valid a supposition.
The Scientific Theory introduces several important concepts for understanding what it is trying to get across and, which is even more important, how it does. A scientific fact is an observation that has been confirmed experimentally as true. In its turn, a scientific idea can be defined as a conclusion that has been based on an observation of an experiment or a series of experiments. A scientific hypothesis can be interpreted as an explanation of a specific phenomenon, which has not been tested yet and, therefore, remains to be either confirmed or proven wrong.
The scientific hypothesis must be always falsifiable, which means that the provided explanation of the phenomenon in question is not taken for granted and needs further tests to be proven correct. Finally, a scientific theory can be described as a scientific idea that changes rarely and, therefore, creates a pattern in the course of scientific observations.
About the above-mentioned concepts, one must mention the Fourth and the Fifth Assumptions of Science. Related to the Scientific Theory, they offer a clear understanding of what science is. According to the fourth assumption of the Theory of Science, there is always a connection between two concepts. Echoing with the concept of environmental unity, the fourth assumption establishes the idea of unity as a scientific rule by declaring that two concepts, no matter how detached and irrelevant to each other they are, there will always be at least one link between them. In its turn, the fifth assumption of science says that matter can be neither destroyed nor created; it can only take different forms, shifting from one to another.
Why develop a Method?
As it has been stated above, with the help of the Environmental Unity concept, the causes of several events can be explained easily. One of the most recent and nonetheless tragic examples is the notorious Japanese Nuclear Crisis of 2011, which was caused by the M9.0 earthquake, and the following incident with the change of the taste of milk produced by cows bred on the West Coast of the U.S. Though the distance between Japan and the U.S. West Coast is huge and the connection between the nuclear fallout and the milk taste might seem somewhat far-fetched, there is, in fact, a clear link between the two events.
Once the nuclear fallout took place, the radioactive elements were absorbed into the earth and, hence, were dissolved in the groundwater. The groundwater, being a part of the world water system, carried the pollutants to the ocean, where the radioactive elements were distributed all over the world, including the West Coast and the local water system, influencing the plants. Since the nutrients from the food consumed by cows get absorbed into the bloodstream as soon as the consumed food enters the small intestine and then are carried straight to the utter, the quality of the food that cows eat influences the quality of the milk that they produce. Thus, the two events became closely related.
As it has been mentioned, Environmental Unity is a concept that allows linking two completely different elements of the environment together, learning the implicit relation between them. However, Environmental Unity also helps shape one’s perception of how the link between these elements leads to changing one of the items after another one has been changed. Possibly defined as the principle according to which the chemical, biological and physical processes, both human-crafted and natural, on the Earth can be linked, the Environmental Unity principle presupposes that the changes in a certain part of the environment will inevitably lead to the changes in the rest of its elements.
For instance, considering the case described above, one can easily figure out that the cows were not the only victims of the incident in Japan, and the United States was not the only country that suffered in the process. Fish and other oceanic organisms must have been affected, as well as the plants on the mainland since the water system in the latter is linked to the ocean. Finally, the radioactive elements have shaped people’s organisms, even though the effects might not be tangible enough at the first sight. It can be assumed that people, animals, and plants can be guarded against the impact of pollutants by isolating the possible pollutant sources from the global water system.
What happens if ideas do not pass the peer review process?
There is no doubt that people prefer giving than taking; and there is hardly any other sphere where it can be just as obvious as it is in the relationships between people and nature. Because of the increasing rates of consumerism, people take much more global hectares than they need, therefore, exhausting natural resources several times faster. Following the principles of sustainability, however, people can change the current state of affairs and replenish renewable natural resources, at the same time making sure that the non-renewable ones are used reasonably. Sustainability is a notion that can be defined as a set of strategies aimed at making the current natural resources available for future generations as well. There are several basic sustainability assumptions, which are:
- sustainability approach presupposes creating a plan on a global scale;
- sustainability process must be achieved through performing a range of different activities;
- sustainability plan must be split into uniquely addressing individual problems;
- sustainability process does not require grant funding;
- sustainability can be achieved in numerous ways, not only concerning the environment but also embracing family issues, politics, economics, problems of the workforce, etc.
The latter is especially important seeing how the new concept of “middle-class life” has been coined recently. Focused on the consumption of goods rather than on contributing to environmental stability, the “new middle class” should change its way of thinking and perception of nature.
Taking my consumerism as an example, one will be able to see that my choices are not always qualified as environmentally friendly or contributing to the progress of the sustainability process. While I am proud to mention that most of my household appliances and gadgets consume as little energy as possible and that I use my car very rarely, usually to cover very big distances, some of the choices that I make are admittedly unreasonable.
For example, it is necessary to mention that my total annual estimated CO2 emissions are about 38,547 pounds per year, which could be reduced considerably. Nevertheless, I think I could improve my choices as a consumer. For example, I can use much less energy by turning the conditioning off when I do not need it. Also, I can enjoy walks instead of using the car for city transport. By showing an example, I can convince more people to reconsider their consumerist attitude.