Environmental Resources and Sustainable Development: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on Sep 4, 2024 in Social sciences

Environmental Resources and Sustainable Development

All evidence needed to meet physical, physiological, socioeconomic, cultural, or project development needs should be available. These resources can be biological, geological, or cultural (e.g., a landscape). Following their ability to regenerate, resources can be:

Renewable Resources

  • Consumed at a rate lower than their production
  • Endless if their regeneration capacity is not exceeded
  • Ultimately depend on solar energy

Nonrenewable Resources

  • Consumed at a rate higher than their replenishment
  • Face irreversible disappearance

Environmental Hazards

Refer to the possibility of damage of any kind. Based on root causes, hazards can be:

  • Natural hazards: Due to natural causes
  • Anthropogenic risks: Caused by human activities
  • Induced risk: Natural but aggravated by human activities

Environmental Impact

The effect exerted by human activities on the environment.

Environmental Impact Assessment

A legal-administrative process intended to estimate the environmental effects of a given project, work, or activity. These studies should be multidisciplinary and performed using an audit scheme. Factors to consider include:

  • The action to be performed
  • The amount and quality of information available
  • Budget
  • Time available for the assessment
  • Environmental impacts
  • User needs
  • Type of project
  • Possible alternatives
  • Social relevance and impact of the project development model

Introduction: Earth as an Economic System

  • The planet operates based on an economic system
  • Natural resources (capital) are extracted, processed, and used
  • This generates benefits (goods) and waste (returned to the system)
  • When money enters the equation, the balance is disrupted
  • The economy expands, crossing boundaries and exceeding natural limits
  • We must decouple growth from development
  • Growth: Expansion or increase in size
  • Development: Satisfaction of needs or improvement in well-being

In today’s world:

  • Some countries have high growth but low development (e.g., India)
  • Some have low growth but high development (e.g., New Zealand)
  • Others balance growth and development (e.g., Canada)

Development Models

  1. Uncontrolled Development: Prioritizes economic growth over other factors.
  2. Zero Growth: Prioritizes environmental conservation, sacrificing economic growth.
  3. Sustainable Development: Reconciles growth with environmental and resource preservation.

Uncontrolled Development

  • Population and economic growth occur without regard for limiting factors
  • Originated during the Industrial Revolution
  • Key assumptions:
    • Economic growth is paramount
    • Production, distribution, and consumption of material goods are encouraged
    • The economy is unregulated
    • Environmental degradation is downplayed
  • 1970s: Environmental awareness increased
  • Studies questioned uncontrolled development, predicting negative consequences in the medium term:
    • Resource exhaustion
    • Decline in economic activity
    • Population decrease

Zero Growth

  • Conservationist model
  • Supported by NGOs and scientific communities
  • Proposals:
    • Halt economic growth
    • Equalize incomes between rich and poor countries
    • Stop energy resource consumption and population growth
    • Promote changes in education to emphasize collective well-being over individualism

Sustainable Development

  • Manages resources rationally and strategically to maximize the use of nonrenewable resources and halt their overexploitation
  • Considers the environmental costs of production in addition to economic costs
  • Distributes resources equitably to meet population needs without reaching industrialized consumption levels
  • Promotes environmental education and considers future generations’ needs

Sustainability

A system is sustainable when human intervention does not exceed its carrying capacity, affecting its stability, vitality, and longevity. A sustainable system can operate indefinitely. Sustainable development refers to societal development that does not disrupt the Earth’s system balance.

Basic Principles of Ecosystem Sustainability and Their Implications for Humans

  1. Recycling and Regeneration: Ecosystems recycle, eliminate waste, and regenerate nutrients. Human societies have linear flows of matter and energy, leading to resource depletion, overexploitation, and waste accumulation.
  2. Solar Energy: Ecosystems rely on sunlight as their primary energy source. Human societies depend on exogenous sources (fossil fuels).
  3. Population Size: Ecosystem populations are limited to prevent excessive resource consumption. Human activities (deforestation, overfishing) often exceed carrying capacities.
  4. Biodiversity: Ecosystems thrive on diversity. Human societies tend to reduce biodiversity through monocultures and cultural homogenization.

Measures for Sustainable Development

  • Eradicate poverty
  • Control population growth
  • Promote sustainable agricultural practices in developing countries
  • Implement strict energy conservation plans

Dimensions of Sustainable Development

  • Biological: Balance population growth, food production, environmental quality, and biodiversity protection.
  • Environmental: Rationally manage natural capital growth, reduce consumption, and promote renewable energy.
  • Political: Foster solidarity, international development, and cooperation.
  • Cultural: Ensure access to education for all, respect multiculturalism, and promote environmental awareness.
  • Human: Encompass all the above aspects to improve overall well-being.

Personal Measures: The Three Rs

  • Reduce: Minimize waste generation and consumption.
  • Reuse: Find new purposes for existing products.
  • Recycle: Process materials into new products.