env2, The Bishop Strachan School, Canada, Question:
In our class, we are examining sustainability from a geopolitical lens. Our questions are more global in focus, but we are wondering what the various nations in our learning circle are thinking about some of the dilemmas were are grappling with.
- How does one define a global issue on sustainability?
- Can we tackle one issue at a time, or do we have to work towards improving all of the at the same time, if our goal is to change environmental conditions for all life on earth?
- Why are international protocols and policies not being maintained?
- If most of the countries in the world were on a level playing field economically, what might our world like like when in relation to environmental crises?
Answer from env1
1. How does one define a global issue on sustainability?
GLOBAL ISSUE ON SUSTAINABILITY
Global issue on sustainability is defined as measures taken to improve ,control the pollution on earth in order to make the environment suitable for leaving.
2. Can we tackle one issue at a time, or do we have to work towards improving all of the at the same time, if our goal is to change environmental conditions for all life on earth?
WHY WE SHOULD TACKLE ALL ISSUES AT ONCE
I think we should tackle all issues at once this because if we tackle one issue at a time the other areas will continue worsening but if we slow but sure by tackling every issue at once we will be moving without leaving other issue undone therefore making thing to be done in the way they are supposed to be done improving the state of which the environment is at thus making it better and more good.
3. Why are international protocols and policies not being maintained?
WHY INTERNATIONAL PROTOCOLS ARE NOT BEING MANTAINED
Reasons why international protocols and policies are not maintained are very many this is due to the reasons stated below
Corruption
This the act of bribing someone in authority in order for him or her go do you a favour.This the cause of breaking of the international policies, this occurs where one bribes the leaders to be given permission to direct his companies waste in to water sources even to go and grab the land under forest cover this is especially experienced in Kenya where the Mau forest land had been grabbed by those in authority.
Lack of funds
International policies require a lot of funds to be run butut due to lack of adequate funds the people in authority find it hard to carry out this policies. One example is about the world water day where people check there water sources and help to clean them, but due to lack of enough resources it is normally done in few areas especially the urban ones and small villages like Lusui don’t take part in such activities
Mismanagement of offices
Most offices in our country are being managed poorly by the leaders this in turn brings done the motive of keeping the international protocols and policies .A good example is in Tanzania where the environmental policies did not came to a pass after a long discussion because of its leaders
4. If most of the countries in the world were on a level playing field economically, what might our world like like when in relation to environmental crises?
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD ECONOMICALLY AS A RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CRISES
If most of the countries in the world were on a level playing field economically the rate of environmental pollution will be high, this will be brought by industrialization that will have occurred in the world and also they will be more complains on every country because no country will except to carry the blame alone. For example if you compare the rate of pollution from the western countries and African countries you notice that the pollution from the western countries is vast than the African countries.
env1, Kenya, Chavakali High School
Answer from env3
1. How does one define a global issue on sustainability?
The criteria for global issues would be six or more countries. The definition of sustainability in our opinion is to maintain something. Several global sustainability issues which are harming our earth, are the following: the first issue is global warming, this represents an issue because of the high temperatures on earth, the earth is already too warm and if we don’t sustain the environment now, it’s going to get way too hot for the future generations to come; another issue would be greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, this is a problem because, there is too much coal being burnt in order to produce electricity, the coal being burnt is letting out too many greenhouse gases which is harming our environment; the final issue in our perspective is pollution, all the cars that are on the roads, all the factories that are busy making our daily necessities, are major contributors towards destroying the environment.
2. We should tackle environmental conditions by solving them one at a time. For example solving the problem about pollution; which is also part of global warming. We can solve it by not burning as much coal to produce electricity because it’s the greatest contributor to the pollution. It also emits sulphur dioxide and mercury which groups together with water vapor to produce acid rain; which harms our environment.
Another way we can improve environmental conditions for all life on earth is by using the three Rs, Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse. People should be aware of how to recycle certain products because that will help our environment to save more natural resources by reusing the products.
Third largest issue the environment is struggling to improve on is climate change which is caused by carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. To improve this we should stop burning so much coal, stop burning forests, stop draining ecosystem, and also raising livestock which includes spraying pesticides on the livestock which will harm our environment.
In conclusion, even though there are many environmental issues, we should try to tackle the largest issues that affect our environment the most by working together to protect and improve our environment for all life on earth.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAbOVeKYgjU&feature=related
By: Thurka and Aakela
3.Why are international protocols and policies not being maintained?
Protocols and policies are embedded in a sound knowledge of human relationships. These may be official between nations, which have to be governed by a series of agreed particles. International protocols and policies are not upheld because of lack of clear operational objectives. The international system lacks a central authority to adopt environmental protection. As a result, countries have modified different policies to decrease international environmental problems. More specifically, costly regulations are not unanimously supported. The poor responses from significant ministries of different countries involved in international policies causes it to fail. Regional and global management of the environment should balance national policies. So if one policy is rejected by one or more nations, it should be rejected completely. Lack of public awareness also affects the maintenance of international polices. Furthermore if two or more nations have disagreeable issues with each other some policies may be ignored by the nations.
4. Question: If most of the countries in the world were on a level playing field economically, what might our world be like in relation to environmental crises?
If most of the countries in the world were on a level playing field economically, our world would be very different in relation to environmental crises. In light of an environmental crisis, our world would react quite different. For example, when an earthquake struck Haiti, a third world country, they needed a lot of assistance from other countries. Volunteers, donations for water, food, and healthcare were sent to aid the citizens of Haiti affected by the earthquake. They needed all the help they could get because they couldn’t help themselves. But if Haiti was one of the countries on a level playing field economically, they wouldn’t need all the outside help that they received. They would be able to recover with very little foreign aid. They wouldn’t need many volunteers, and they could supply themselves with water, food and healthcare. There wouldn’t be as much emphasis on helping Haiti get back on their feet, because they simply wouldn’t need it. Same goes for other countries. If most of them were on a level playing field, they would all have the resources to recover from an environmental crisis and rebuild. This is what our world would be like if most of the countries were on a level playing field.
Answer from env4
1.) How does one define a global issue on sustainability?
We define global issue on sustainability by; development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.This contributed to the understanding that sustainable development encompasses a number of areas and highlights sustainability as the idea of environmental, economic and social progress and equity, all within the limits of the world’s natural resources.
2.) Can we tackle one issue at a time, or do we have to work towards improving all of the at the same time, if our goal is to change environmental conditions for all life on earth?
If we were to tackle all the issues at the same time, nothing will be done the right way and we would find a lot of flaws in our work.
For Example;
- 1.3 billion without access to clean water;
- about half of humanity lacking access to adequate sanitation and living on less than 2 dollars a day;
- approximately 2 billion without access to electricity;
Just looking at those numbers gives you a chill. Every country is or has tried to tackle all the issue at once, and this is the result of it. Over 1.3 billion without water, that's like saying all of Canada not having clean water. So therefore "slow and steady wins the race", if we tackle one issue at a time we will be able to solve it properly and on the right way.
3.) Why are international protocols and policies not being maintained?
International protocols and policies are made to help reduce our impact on the environment. While protocols and policies may be to help the environment, countries may not be able to sustain economically if they have to find other ways to find ways of power, places where to dump waste etc. The countries may recognize the importance of these protocols and policies but they do not carry out the guidelines and practices of the protocols or policies. Countries may not endorse the protocols and policies because they are unenforceable. These countries may not be able to meet the targets of the protocols that they signed, Canada backed out of the Kyoto Protocol in late December 2011 because they could not meet targets. Some countries were exempted from the Kyoto Protocol because they were developing nations.
Video on global sustainability
4.) If most of the countries in the world were on a level playing field economically, what might our world like like when in relation to environmental crises?
It is pretty well known to most of the world's population that the issue of global warming should be dealt with as soon as possible and that switching to more environmentally friendly alternatives is in the world's best interest, it isn't the simplest thing to do. Many countries, including North America and The European Union, are dependent on naturally occurring forms of non-renewable energy. This is exactly the reason why we freak every time gas prices go up a few cents. However, it is even harder to switch to less environmentally harming alternatives due to the sheer cost of switching. Charging some sort of environmental tax on consumers, such as the eco-tax on technology that is currently employed in Canada, is really only economically viable in developed countries where charging it is a non-issue to most. But the fact of the matter is, the same thing cannot be implemented in developing countries. This is where the issue of global economic imbalance comes in. At the end of the day, "fixing" our environment will be a long, agonizing struggle to keep a delicate balance between economical and environmental concerns.
Answer from env5
Dear ENV 2
We have tried to get a understanding of sustainability from a global perspective. In our research, we have realized that sustainability is the responsible management of the ecosystem. This involves Environmental management and management of the consumption of resources. For us in Liberia, Sustainability is a serious issue.Our population has not been responsible in help to manage the natural environment.Ignorance and poverty has created an open and illegal consumption of our natural resources. Our research also reveals that ignorance and illiteracy are among the key factor that hinders sustainability. These two factors are very visible in our society and have hampered our rich tropical rain forest, our national resources and our wildlife.
We also concluded that it’s important to tackle the issue of sustainability in its totality, because the effect has a wide ranging impact on our natural environment. For example, Pollution is a serious factor that cannot be ignored. Its impact has resulted into global warming, airborne diseases and waterborne diseases. We cannot also ignore the impacts of illegal mining, illegal logging and illegal hunting. All of these factors need to be handled with urgency to save our natural resources and animal species from extinction.Tackling one factor and ignoring the other would still effect the sustainability of the natural environment.We can collaborate and form partnership to tackle the issue of sustainability from every front.We think its good for us student and young people to take the lead. For us in Liberia, international protocol can be maintained if there is strong enforceability for compliance. Over 60% of our populations are illiterate .They may not understand while sustainability is important, but over time and with enforcement of compliance to International protocol there would be a way forward.
If the world were on a level playing field economically,the challenge for sustainability would be easier to handle than it is today.One typical example is the impact of industrialization on developing country with no established environmental program.Company with huge investment can direct policy in their interest with no concern about environmental sustainability but for profit making. for us in Liberia,we have read about the Firestone Company waste pollution which had affected marine plants and animal habitats,pollution has destroy cold water fish on large scale and had release health hazards in the environment.
Firestone is majoinvestor in Liberia with the goal of maximizing more profit and less interest in environmental sustainability.
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Answer from env6
What Can Be Done?
Caught between growing demand for freshwater on one hand and limited and increasingly polluted supplies on the other, many countries face difficult choices. Finding solutions requires responses at local, national, and international levels-a "Blue Revolution" that focuses on integrated management of watersheds and shared water basins (104) (see Population Reports, Solutions for a Water-Short World, Series M, No. 14, September 1998).
- Community-led initiatives to manage water resources better can help urban dwellers gain access to safe, piped water supplies, thus improving sanitation and public health (46, 119). Governments can develop national water management policies that not only improve supply but also manage demand better with appropriate pricing for example, ending subsidies that in effect encourage overuse (221).
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- Urban waste pollution,Mining and heavy metal pollution .
- Some causes of water pollution include:Spills or leaks from oil and chemical containers
- Trade effluent going into surface waters and bank erosion on farms
- Wash waters and waste products
- Fuel spills
- Releases of hot water
Spills of food products, eg dairy products and fruit juice . If you pollute the water environment you maybe committing an offence . Surface waters and ground water are produced by a number of licensing regimes that prevent and control pollution from businesses.
Answer from env7
1) The concept of sustainability means many different things to different people, and a large part of humanity around the world still live without access to basic necessities.
The causes of poverty and of environmental degradation are inter-related suggesting that approaching sustainable development requires understanding the issues from many angles, not just say an environmentalist or economics perspective alone.
2) We can address the problem at a time, which involves changing environmental conditions on
earth, but that change will be radical and in agreement, respected and appreciated by all.
Some variants of changing environmental conditions on earth, would be weighted water use, keeping clean around hou se and in public places and use electricity sparingly. All these measures would better be sustained by a law imposing sanctions on those who do not respect the environment.
3) The international protocols and policies are not maintained because a lot of causes. The most important is iresponsability of population. Another cause is the politics, because have many things which depend of protocols and nobody do nothing. Money problems are very important too, because economy is always decrease, never it does not thank nobody.
All of these problems can be resolved. We have to try to do something new!
4) We think that our world right now is losing in relation with environmental crises !the action of people on
terra"s playground has changed everything !Terra was able to manage her self for millions of years! We have destroyed many resources and now we need to recycle because the resources left are running out!!
Answer from env8
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Answer from env9
Sustainability is clearly becoming a popular word in the environmental policy and research arena . "Sustainable development " sustained use of the biosphere , " and "ecological sustainability" are terms increasingly used by institutions and individuals concerned with the relationships between humans and the global environment .
"Protection of the environment" has become a moral issue in the minds of an increasing number of people. All life on Earth needs close limits of conditions, such as temperature, availability of a specific range of substances, absence or avoidance of a specific range of substances, and continual presence of other organisms including other members of their own species. All life, in its processes of existing, continually alters its immediate environment.However, this new chemically reactive environment pushed evolution onto a much more dynamic course.
We think it is unlikely that humanity would be completely extinguished by its effects on the environment. We are too widespread around the earth; too resourceful and resilient; too diverse in culture and belief; and our gene pool is diverse enough to survive the likely adverse environments.
The Real Environmental Crisis takes a close look at the major environment and resource issues—population growth; climate change; agriculture and food supply; our fisheries, forests, and fossil fuels; water and air quality; and solar and nuclear power.
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