Environmental SustainabilitySustainability creates and maintains the conditions needed to support us now and in future generations by working to ensure we continue to have the water, materials, and resources to protect us and the environment ("What is sustainability?," n.d., para.
1). Environmental sustainability should be a priority in every individual’s life, not only for us but also for future generations. Individuals must look for ways to sustain the environment because there are a limited number of resources available on earth to go around, so we should educate ourselves on the resources that are not renewable or that take a long time to renew, and look for ways to decrease or eliminate our usage of those resources.There are many every day ways individuals can take part like recycling, proper disposal of chemicals, avoid creating trash, composting leftovers, and saving water like taking shorter showers and by turning the water off while brushing teeth. These sound simple, but if enough people started employing them environmental sustainability might become a more achievable goal. Our government has a whole agency devoted to this very thing called the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA basically has seven priorities. They are taking action on climate change and improving air quality by looking for common sense solutions to deal with things like green house gas emissions from things like power plants, they support the president in enacting clean energy and climate legislation, and by initiatives like the Clean Air Act and energy star ("Taking Action on Climate Change," n.d., para. 1).
The Clean Air Act requires the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate air pollutants with the goal of protecting public health. It is touted as saving the lives of many and improving health, all while saving us money and protecting the economy. For four decades now it has a proven track record of success; however, it is regularly under attack by special interest groups.This is where legislation is so important. Individuals can also help by becoming clean air advocates ("The Clean Air Act," n.
d.). Energy star is a voluntary program that helps businesses and consumers protect the climate through superior energy efficiency. It was established in 1992 by the Environmental Protection Agency. It identifies and promotes energy efficient products and buildings to help reduce energy consumption, and to reduce pollution.
As consumers we can aid in this effort by purchasing products with the energy star label ("About energy star ," n.d.).Other goals of the EPA are to assure the safety of chemicals, working for environmental justice, building state and tribal partnerships, and protecting our waters. Protecting America’s waterways is more complex than ever before because so many are imperil because of overuse and pollution. The EPA employs programs like watershed protection, water infrastructure construction, and urban water initiatives to help achieve greater compliance.
They also initiate measures for stronger drinking water protection ("Seven Priorities for EPA’s Future," n.d.).The EPA also works to clean up communities using things like brownfields programs.
Brownfields programs work to cleanup properties that are no longer being used and are cluttering up cities, like abandoned factories. By cleaning these properties up and redeveloping them it helps to reduce pollution, reduce storm water runoff, and helps to increase area property values ("EPA Brownfields Program Benefits," 2013).Environmental sustainability should be the goal of every individual because it is so important to be aware of the limited resources in our environment and to look for ways to decrease or cease using the resources that are not renewable. Agencies like the EPA are crucial in ensuring we continue to have the water, materials, and resources to protect the environment.Individuals can have a major impact on the issue of environmental sustainability by becoming educated on the subject and by making just a few small changes at home like recycling, proper disposal of chemicals, and by looking for ways to save water. All of the goals the EPA has should be the individual goal of every citizen.
Our quality of life and the quality of life in future generations depend on it.
