“We can sit back, do nothing and watch our planet be destroyed. Or we can take action, become advocates and start making lifestyle choices which are kinder to people and the planet.”
– Kira Simpson
https://www.icebookshop.com/What-s-new/Is-sustainability-in-civil-engineering-being-achie.aspx
Sustainability is a word that we all have been hearing for a while now. It is a term that is used to define how we can continue to exist in the same state by using the distinct resources that are damaging the existing resources.
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So, what is Sustainable Engineering? It is the process of creating systems and objects that don’t compromise the natural environment and it enables future generations to be able to meet their own needs.
One might ponder over the difference between a traditional engineer and a sustainable engineer. Consider the engineers have to design a tire. Where traditional engineers determine how the tire would endure heat and resist sand abrasion, a sustainable engineer considers the raw materials that will be used and where the tire will go by the end of its lifetime and considers if it harms the environment in any way.
Sustainable engineers don’t exactly think about the quality of the product but only about how it is going to impact the environment and determine how to make a product that is completely safe for the environment without compromising on its quality. In short, sustainable engineers think about the present and future situations of the existing human life.
Sustainability is based on a few simple principles:
- It is a fact that all we need for our survival and well-being, depends completely on our natural environment be it directly or indirectly.
- Through sustainability, we can create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature are allowed to exist in productive harmony that permits fulfilling the requirements of the present and future generations.
- Through sustainability, it is important to make sure that we have and will continue to have the resources while protecting the environment and our health at the same time.
- Sustainability is the study of how natural systems function, remain diverse and produce everything it needs for the ecology to remain in balance.
- What we derive from sustainability is an improved quality of life for us, the environment, and for the future generations to come.
The United Nations have developed two types of sustainability concepts, namely Inter-generational equity, and Intra-generational equity. Inter-generational equity expects the present generation to hand over a safe, healthy, and resourceful environment for future generations to enjoy.
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Intra-generational equity is mainly concerned with the equity between people of the same generation with an emphasis on technological development supporting the economic growth of the poorer section so as to reduce the gap between nations.
The concept of sustainability is based on the fact that people along with their communities are made up of social, economic, and environmental systems that are in constant interaction with each other and must be kept in harmony. So, we can consider the pillars of sustainability to be the social, economic, and environmental systems of a community.
Concept of Social Sustainability
It refers to the social well-being and harmony that exists within a society. All sections of society are entitled to have equal access to the basic resources, that is, all the basic necessities should be made available to all people. Human values and relations should be given importance as well without compromising on their quality of life. Since there is a universal disagreement (between nations, religions, and so on) on what the quality of life should be, social sustainability is the least defined and understood of the three pillars.
To ensure social sustainability, some measures can be implemented:
- Alleviating poverty and provide necessary basic education to all.
- Protecting all human rights in society.
- Providing adequate food, security, sanitation, and drinkable water to all.
- Providing adequate and affordable shelter to all sections of society.
Environmental Sustainability
Environmental sustainability mainly depends on the maintenance of the energy and material cycles of the planet, maintenance of biodiversity, protection of natural capital, and the health and resilience of all life support systems. This can be achieved by following some methods.
- Reducing our dependence on finite, virgin resources like fossil fuels, minerals, and metals.
- Not systematically degrading the physical basis for the productivity and biodiversity of nature.
- The efficient use and fair distribution of the resources enable humans to achieve their needs.
Economic Sustainability
Through economic sustainability, the gap between the rich and poor can be bridged. It mainly emphasizes economic growth that can improve the quality of life and does not harm the environment. Economic sustainability can be measured by checking the unemployment rate, distribution of income, sectoral distribution of jobs, and the distribution of housing.
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In a sustainable society, the society, economy, and environment must be balanced and must have harmony among themselves. The environment provides resources and raw materials to the economy to conduct production activities. The economy creates these products and sells them to society for our use. Society in turn produces annual labor and industries to the economy.
https://www.shell.com/sustainability/our-approach.html
In short, sustainability mainly involves thinking more about how a certain product impacts the environment and the life and living conditions of future generations. Simply considering all impacts doesn’t mean that these manufacturers compromise on the quality of the products they are making. Many engineers these days are encouraged to think sustainably and find the best material and the best way to create a certain product. In doing so, we are sure to be rewarded by our children and the environment because we can control all the negative impacts faced by the earth.
“Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a difference. Each one of us must take responsibility for our own lives, and above all, show respect and love for living things around us, especially each other.”
– Jane Goodall
-Sharon Ajith -16/06/2021
Tags: #Concept of Social Sustainability, #Economic Sustainability, #environmental, #Environmental Sustainability, #food, #getgreengetgrowing, #gngagritech, #greenstories, #life, #nature, #planet, #sustainability, #water
