Sustainability

The Living in the Environment definition of sustainability is the ability of the earth’s various natural systems and human cultural systems and economies to survive and adapt to changing environmental conditions indefinitely. The key words in this definition are adapt and survive since human disasters and natural disasters constantly change the environment. The natural systems around the world are constantly hit with various changes which require them to change and adapt in order to survive and grow.

One natural system many people around the world interact with is water. Oceans, rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes are all waterways that spread throughout every continent in the world. However, pesticides and chemicals often contaminate earth’s various water bodies making the water impure and unsafe. US Geological Survey decided to test the extent of pollution due to pesticides and fertilizers and came up with a staggering percentage. USA is known for its pristine beauty and safe drinking water compared to other countries, but the survey shows that pesticides and other chemical run-off pollutes over 65 percent of US streams. (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=decade-long-examination-o) I have seen the effect of fertilizers and pesticides in the pond in my own backyard. Every year around spring time, people around the neighborhood spray their newly blooming plants with fertilizers and insecticides. However, they do not realize that the run-off created from rainfall washes those chemicals right into my pond. At one point we had koi fish swimming around, but within a month, seven out of the ten fish died due to excessive algae bloom created by run-off that stifled the oxygen in the water. Similarly, the problems with run-off transfer to the aquatic life within these streams and rivers. Fish in many streams which were contaminated with DDT run-off over 20 years ago in America still contain the banned pesticide according to the US Geological Survey. Progress has ensued within the government such as the Clean Water Act, which aims to regulate the quality of surface water in the United States. (http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/cwa/) Also, the act enforces that any person wants to discharge pollutants near waterways must obtain a NPDES permit. (http://wildlifelaw.unm.edu/fedbook/fwpca.html) Still, many pollutants flow into the waterways because regular individuals who spray fertilizers on their personal plants do not obtain permits. With a little under 310,000,000 people in America, the pollution created from personal use of pesticides and fertilizers is enormous. Some steps that could alleviate the excess run-off are to place a limit on how much pesticides people can buy from local stores such a Lowes and garden centers. Another step America could take is to limit the months and usage of plant fertilizers and pesticides in personal homes. For instance, the city of Suffolk could limit the spraying of these chemicals to March-May and August-October and limit to only once a week as the maximum amount of spraying.

Food is constantly in the minds of many Americans, especially with dinner portions that could feed three people. Unfortunately, the rest of the world is not so lucky. Malnutrition, pot bellies, and food shortages plague many poor cities in developing nations. Sustaining food for everyone in the world is a hard task to complete, yet, with planning and hard work is possible. Zimbabwe is one of many nations going through a food shortage due to a dry spell which hurt many of their crops. (http://allafrica.com/stories/201001191056.html) The Famine Early Warning System Network predicts that 2.2 million will need food aid in just Zimbabwe. In 2006 according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, an estimated 40 countries in the world faced food shortages. (http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000416/index.html) If there are 2.2 million people in one country who need food aid, the amount in the combined 40 countries is horrendously high. There are many dedicated organizations that strive to feed the many malnourished and unfed people in the world such as World Vision, End 4 Hunger, and Bread for the World. These organizations raise millions of dollars, but if every person who is in the middle class donates $10.00 and every person in the upper class donates $100.00 or more, then the odds of lessening world hunger increases greatly. United Nations estimates that it will take 195 billion dollars a year to end world hunger. (http://www.squidoo.com/world-hunger) In America, we can help by implementing a donation fee to the middle and upper class. Also America can cut back on the portions served in restaurants. Instead of serving meals worthy for two or more people, restaurants and diners can reduce the serving size to accommodate only one person. Sending the remaining non-perishable ingredients saved from cutting back to needy people will both lessen America’s increasing obesity problem and the number of hungry people in the world. Simple steps such as cutting back on portion size, donating money, and limiting the use of pesticides for personal use can help sustain the natural resources in the world’s environment.

http://www.pollutionissues.com/Na-Ph/Pesticides.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/021409_childrens_nutrition_malnutrition.html