What is your stance on environmental issues?

The environment is a completely new issue which has come in public opinion polls. Before the late 1960s there were few questions about issues related to population explosion and sanitation. But the environment became powerful in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was evident that Americans were very much concerned about a clean and healthy environment and were ready to spend a lot of money to improve it.

An environment policy is any measure undertakenby a government or corporation or other public or private organization in matters related to human activities on the environment especially those measures which are made to prevent or lessen harmful effects of human activities on ecosystems.

Environmental policies are required because environmental values are not discussed in organizational decision making. There are two reasons why environmental values are not discussed. The number one reason is that environmental effects are considered as economic externalities. Polluters do not take the responsibility of the consequences of their actions. The negative effects happen elsewhere or in the future. The second reason is that natural resources are priced low because they are believed to be available infinitely.

Putting together, those factors brought about “the tragedy of the commons” as coined by the American ecologist Garrett Hardin in 1968. The natural resources are considered common which everyone can use for their personal benefit. An individual will use the common resource without taking into considerations about its limits, but that self-interested behavior leads to decreasing of the shared limited resource. This is something which people does not take into consideration. Individuals use the resources for their own benefits in the short term, but it is the community which have to pay the costs of depletion in the long term. The incentives for individuals to use the common are weak. Thus, the government has to play the role for the protection of the commons.

Below are some of the majorglobal environmental issues which according to the UN must be resolved. Let us have a look at it:

• Climate change mitigation and adaptation– Global warming due to carbon dioxide emissions have increased by almost 50% since 1990 as stated by the UN. Global warming is causing hazardsto millions of people, plants and animals by causing meteorological events such as droughts, fires and floods. This indicates that we have to take measures to lessen its effects and adjust to its results which, even if global warming is kept under 2degree C as required by the Paris Agreements, will continue for centuries.
• Pollution problems and their effect on health– The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that 90 per cent of human population breathes polluted air. So, it is taking into account to reduce air pollution to cut down respiratory illnesses in order to prevent seven million deaths a year. Some major health issues are caused by contaminated water and five million deaths occur in a year according to Oxfam Intermon. The UN recommends to avoid dumping, minimize the use of chemical and to treat more wastewater.
• Protecting the ocean– The oceans have become the largest waste dumps for plastic. Other serious environmental issues related to the oceans are damage to ecosystems because of global warming, dumping of pollutants, wastewater and spilling of fuels. The UN advocates to improve the protected areas by giving them enough resources, reduce overfishing, pollution and acidification of the ocean which is caused by the increase in the temperature of the earth.
• The energy transition and renewables– Energy is responsible for 60 percent of global effect gas (GHG) emissions. The UN states that 13% of the world population does not have access to electricity and 3 billion people use fossil fuels for cooking. This situation can be handled by energy transition for a cleaner, readily available and efficient model made on the use of renewable energy sources.

Do you know the answer of the below question?

Q.What was discovered by Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson?

• A sustainable food model– Large-scalefood production harms the soil and damage marine ecosystems. Due to overexploitation of natural resources, the safety of food and the availability of drinking water has come under risk. The UN advice to change the food production model and our food habits to a more plant-based diet.
• Protecting biodiversity– Due to the destruction of the natural habitats, poaching and the introduction of invasive species, 8% of the known animal species have been lost and 22% might extinct. The UN advocates for strict measures to end these threats and conserve our natural heritage.
• Sustainable urban development– The growth of new cities, which is going to accommodate about 5 billion people by 2030, is another of the environmental issues. The cities need to have more green spaces, environment friendly buildings and method of transport should be more inneed of pedestrians.
• Hydric stress and water scarcity– Due to lack of water scarcity, it is affecting more than 40% of the world population. According to the World Economic Forum, agriculture uses more than 70% of the water in the most arid counties.