Summer Assignment: Sustainability

Sustainability, in terms of environmental science, is the earth's ability to function continually through changes and adaptations. Living sustainably involves making concious efforts to reduce your negative environmental impact. While living in this manner during current times is becoming progressively more difficult due to expense, practicing a sustainable lifestyle untimately benefits our earth as a whole. One of the major environmental issues we face today that affects earth's sustainability is the pollution of water, particularly bodies of water that suppport ecosystems and are utilized as a resource. The pollution of water can be caused by multiple factors, most commonly through the dumping of hazardous wastes and the run off of lawn chemicals or car wash fluids. The protection of water sources links directly to sustainability beacause water is a vital element in the continuation of earth's survival. Efforts like "World Water Monitoring Day" allow people to test the "health" of local bodies of water, thus drawing attention to potentially polluted lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans. Forming habits like turning off dripping faucets, taking quick showers, and limiting unecessary water use can all help in preserving water and living sustainably.

Another major environmental issue jeopardising our sustainability is the cutting down of massive amounts of trees, or deforestation. This is detrimental because trees, like water, are vital to earth's function. They provide oxygen through respiration. Industries continue to harvest trees for lumber and other uses but new sustainable laws and regulations are being set to help over-cutting. Lumber companies in many cases are required to replant harvested lands in hopes of creating new growth.

Living sustainably may be the only answer to protecting our environment and resources in the future

Stuart G.