Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 2.8
Guidelines made on behalf of the resolution of global environmental problems and
sustainable society
Resources that are currently thought not to be depleted should be used in a manner which does
not disturb that balance
Resources that are being depleted; we should establish alternative sources or ways of avoiding
their use
before
the resource is lost
In the areas of the earth we must use, we do so without destroying the balance. Should not
discharge wastes above the limit of natural degradative processes and avoid discharging those
that do not decompose naturally
The objective should be personal happiness in peace and fairness
Fig. 2.13
Environmental
issues and their root causes
In summary, I have pointed out that global environmental issues of today are oc-
curring as a result of human activities which are beyond the tolerance of the earth.
The reasons for this include the trends shown in Fig.
2.13
:
1. Overpopulation by explosive population growth.
2. Excessive use of energy, resources chemicals, and water through the growth in
human activities.
3. Diffusion of chemicals and increase of waste beyond levels that can be handled.
4. Changes which humans are causing are too fast.
5. In other words, people have caused radical changes in both quality and quantity
over a very short period of time (almost instantly in terms of Earth's geological
history).
In this series of lectures I ask the students to ask the following questions, and do the
same to the readers of this topic.
1. What is the essence of environmental issues?
2. What is the cause of environmental problems?
3. How do you solve these problems? What are our best actions?
