Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
13
Sustainab le Geoenvironmental Engineering Practice
13.1 Introduction
13.1.1 Undeniable Facts
The fact that humans require the various elements of a built environment for survival
means that harvesting and exploitation of the natural resources and capital items of the
geoenvironment are needed to support their needs. What is needed, in the face of this real-
ity, is the implementation of
• Development and construction techniques, protocols, and activities in a built envi-
ronment that accord with the objectives of protecting and maintaining optimal
site functionality
• Harvesting, exploitation, and development techniques, procedures, plans, etc.,
that minimize adverse impacts on the geoenviroment
• Geoenvironmental engineering management practices that protect the geoenvi-
ronment from deleterious and adverse stressor impacts generated from sources
associated with the efforts in support of the needs of humans, i.e., sustainable geoen-
vironmental engineering practice
In the face of the demands to support the needs of the human population, there are some
undeniable facts and concerns that need to be confronted. These include
• Continued extraction of nonrenewable natural resources such as metal and min-
eral resources together with fossil fuels will not only result in their depletion, but
will ultimately lead to their exhaustion
• Continued exploitation of renewable natural resources at a pace that does not per-
mit them to fully replenish or regenerate themselves will also ultimately lead to
their exhaustion
• Industrial activities such as farming, manufacturing, production, power genera-
tion, etc. In combination with activities in support of services' operations (gov-
ernment, civic, military, educational and medical institutions, etc.) and general
human population activities, generate a variety of demands and stressors on the
geoenvironment
• Continued human habitat construction and requirements for improvements and
expansion of the built environment result in natural habitat encroachment and
destruction
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