The human civilization has in several decades considerably changed the face of the Earth. Glaciers are melting, in Patagonia and on Mount Kilimanjaro; satellite image reveals the destruction and plundering of tropical forests, in Borneo and Amazonian; lakes and rivers have shrank – even disappeared – in Middle East and the Rural.
The exploitation of finite resources and the lack of consciousness regarding the complex systems In which we live In have resulted In an Impoverishment of the Earth’s ecosystem for the sole sake of our modern lifestyle and consuming societies. In order to clarify why humanity is slowly, since the middle of the 20th century, integrating the notions of sustainability to preserve and protect the natural environment, this essay will first discuss the fundamental principle that makes human and their environment interdependent: the unity of the living.
Further, it will expose the prosperous future that sustainability represents as an alternative lifestyle and new model of development. Before all, we must recognize that humans interact with their environment more than NY other living beings on the planet and that this interaction often results in the ever-growing man made environment “crushing” onto the natural environment. Thereby, can humans still be considered natural? Even though humans are irrevocably a product of nature, “their ability to radically and consciously modifying the Earth and Its biological systems” (Low et al. 005) has raised a doubtful paradox in man being part of nature. As explained by Croon there is a “dualistic vision” embodied in the concept of wilderness, nature at its most pristine and untouched Tate, in which humans are dissociated from the natural environment because they could lead to its fall (Croon, 1995). However, any living being at any scale also interacts with their environment and in some way reshapes It. We build houses for our habitats Just like termites build mounds, In both cases each species have used natural materials and manipulated them In order to achieve a certain purpose.
Therefore, we need to clarify our position regarding humans being within nature. Evolution is for all living beings the one and only explication of life on our planet, regardless of any religious convictions. The theory of evolution explains the constant evolutionary process of our natural world. Livings are constantly reshaped and depending on each species the survival relies on natural selection, some species thrive when others fall (Darwin, 1859). According to Darwinism, humans are a specie that has evolved over millennia like any living organism.
Therefore, humans and everything that emanate from them (the built environment) is a result of nature. It is logical then to assume that humans are in fact part of the natural environment. Having considered that human and their creations, the man made environment, are thin nature. It Is understandable that they are part of a complex system and thus, bilateral effects on their environments and their environment on them. Since the industrial revolution our impact on the natural environment has been constantly increasing.
The main lifestyle in most of today’s societies are based on consumerism and consumption, this has altered the living habits and ethics. It may be more noticeable in the Western World but the pattern is repeated in a most of the countries. The emerging problem facing our modern societies is the impoverishment f our ecosystem and its finite resources that are crucial for the survival of mankind. Into the bargain, the United Nations estimates the world population will peak at 9. 22 Billion in 2075 (United Nations, 2004).
If population grows at the projected rate the world will struggle due to the growing scarcity of resources. Accordingly, the world’s population and especially those of the developed countries are responsible for the majority of the wastage and consumption of resources owing to their energy hungry lifestyle. Ultimately resulting in the augmentation of greenhouse gas emission and hush in the phenomenon of global warming. According to the European Commission, temperature has augmented by 0. ICC on the global surface of the Earth since the beginning of the 20th century (Rheostat, 2009). As seen in the case of ARPA Nun the overexploitation of resources can possibly lead to a societal collapse (Diamond, 2003). Today’s societies will not follow the same kind of fate, but it serves as a prevailing warning not to underestimate any to extreme’ modifications in our ecosystems and the systems of our planet. The actual predominant economic model, capitalism, is encouraging economical growth in despite of Earth’s ecosystem, which can be qualified as unsustainable.
Also, corporate giants’ hegemony over political and public institutions and their unsustainable practices, overburdens the possibility of a new model of economic development. Alike Diamond also denounces the effects of short- term decisions made by the elite having long-term consequences for the ecosystems (Diamond, 2003). Not to mention that humans are also concerned by alterations that affects the food chain. Since humans are part of nature, any extinction of specie will effect the biosphere’s ecosystem and afterwards have drastic consequences for humans.
As Albert Einstein himself reveals “if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. ” (Einstein cited in Benjamin & McCollum, 2009). The interdependency of human and their environment reflect the complexity of systems that include the biosphere, the lithosphere, the aqua sphere and the atmosphere. Therefore, humans should opt for a better way of living, an economic model that incorporates sustainability and a behavior that is adequate to this model by being more responsible for our environment.
After explaining the impact of humans on their environment and the consequences linked to their economic model, the essay will explain the concept of sustainability and the prosperous future that it promotes. The environmental crisis that has been widely mediates through the late 20th and the beginning of the 21st century intends to warn populations about their behavior, natural environment. Both AY Gore, An inconvenient truth; or even Yawn-Arthur Bertrand, Home; made a cinematographic approach to Global Warming for the sole purpose of a mass movement towards sustainability.
The importance of people (the consumers) to feel concerned about nature is crucial for the human-environment interactions because the individual scale will further enables consciousness toward the preservation and protection of the natural world at a global scale; “collective action produces global behavior” Monsoons, 2001). This growing awareness towards more sustainable future underlies populations’ consciousness to change their lifestyles and to adopt a new code of ethics regarding nature.
But what is sustainability? Since the word itself has plural meanings we need to contextual before defining it. First of all, by its etymology it is defined as “the continuance of something over an extended period” (Brown et al cited in Bender, 2012). However, When relating to a model of development the most common definition used was written in Borderland Report : ” a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (World Commission on Environment, 1987) This definition incorporates the economical, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions of the concept of sustainability also called the “three pillars” (Elongation cited in Bender, 2012) , while fatalism focuses mainly on economical growth and is based on unsustainable practices. It is important not to misunderstand sustainability for sustainable development, as sustainability those not refer to growth but relates to ” a goal that can guide human behavior ” (Bender, 2012).
Therefore, when talking about sustainable behavior concerning people in society, we think of useful practices the are possible at an individual scale: double glazed windows in a household ensures heat or cold is trapped in-or-outside; turn off the lights when not in a room; buying fair trade or organic produces instead of manufactured product issued from invitational farming and support your locals producers… All of these little gesture have positive outcomes for the natural environment.
If applied by many it makes a big difference because it’s applied locally it encourages the local market and on the long-term might ensure economical stability at a local or communal scale. Sustainability also relies on technology and progress in techniques. Architecture, being the way we build on our environment, is a key aspect of sustainability. Our habitat needs to be in adequacy with the surrounding environment in order to limit the ecological footprint of the construction.
Also, the materials can be wisely chose and sustainable practices and incorporation of renewable energy systems could be better way of building responsibly. The art of architecture is enabled today with its scientific knowledge in the domain the build state-of-the-art and self sufficient building that do not rely on the electricity grid. The built environment can now be interlinked with the natural world. To put it in a nutshell, humans are intriguingly within the natural world and to some extent, if human civilization is not conscious of the responsibilities, it could be available.
This duality exposes the new role of humans as ‘guardians’ of the Earth; they need to thrive by adapting to a sustainable way of living by incorporating new societal values that promote the protection and preservation of the natural environment. Reference List Bender, H. , Judith K. And Beeline, R. (2012) Sustainability: a model for the future. In Bender, H. (deed. ) Reshaping Environments: an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability in a complex world. Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, Australia. Up. 305-334 Benjamin, A. & McCollum B. (2009). A world without bees.
