and Resources Environmental Sustainability Reflection
In the past the Earth was seen as an unlimited source of materials that humans
could use to survive. We have come to realize that the Earths natural resources are not
going to last forever. Sustainability and finding alternative energy sources have become
a key in building a future for the world. I believe that we should use the Earths
resources efficiently, while keeping the concept of sustainability in mind.
One of the major concerns nowadays is fossil fuels. Coal is the worlds most
abundant fossil fuel because its inexpensive and is widely distributed all over the world.
I think as we use up more and more fossil fuels such as coal and keep relying on it, we
are bound to have even more concerns in future. Coal is a quickly depleting, nonrenewable resource that releases carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) when burned. We
also cause irreversible damage to the environment when we mine for these fossil fuels.
While coal is an effective energy resource, it essentially damages the environment and
causes a concern for global warming. Im not saying that using fossil fuels as a resource
is entirely a bad thing, but we should be more conscious of the long-term effects that it
has on the environment. We have some alternatives to non-renewable resources, but we
are not doing all we can to make an effective change. think I this is because most people
see the world as nothing more than a resource, with economic value for us to exploit.
I found the most interesting types of energy production to be Nuclear power. It
produces very little amounts of pollution and is a very reliable source of energy because
uranium is plentiful and deposited all over the world. And despite its name, its actually
one of the safest methods of producing large quantities of energy. We can even use the
waste byproducts that it produces as a source of energy too, by burning it and creating
methane gas. I think we need more types of energy like nuclear power, where we can
produce energy and re-use the byproduct as another source of energy. That way we
would solve our energy source problem and our waste disposal problem.
The least resource sustainability concern that I have is water use. Its plentiful and
its naturally a renewable resource thanks to constant rainfalls and melting of glaciers.
We still have to be mindful of water usage though, because clean water depletion is still a
threat because of pollution.
I believe sustainability is a huge threat to our future if we choose to ignore these
issues and look for a short-term solution. The issue of sustainability is only a threat if we
choose to make it one. We can definitely make a difference by thinking ahead and being
aware of these issues.