Sustainability Culture Essay

Submitted By maelza
Words: 1198
Pages: 5
Open Document
Maria E. Jimenez
FIE-British Life and Cultures
Dr. Fosdal
18 February 2014
Sustainability Lecture: Saving the World for Future Generations According to Henry Hicks, Futerra Creative Director, sustainable development is development which meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (2014). It means that today, people need to be aware of the social, economic, and environmental impact of their decisions because these decisions will affect resources for future generations (What is, n.d.). Hicks discussed a few human activities that are devastating the environment, such as fracking, terrorism, high food prices, unethical business practices, and racist immigration rules. However, he also mentioned actions that people are taking to care for the environment, such as the use of solar panels, the harnessing of wind energy, local consumption, and fair trade. Three of the issues discussed that interested me were fracking, income inequality, and positive sustainability measures because these issues illustrate the relationship between sustainability and economic development. Despite some economic benefits, fracking is ultimately an unsustainable practice because the negative economic, social, and environmental effects are greater than its benefits. Some countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, adopted the hydraulic fracturing practice, known as fracking, with the aim of creating a more sustainable energy market. Fracking is the process of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them further open which releases gas (Fracking, n.d). In the United States, fracking has produced some economic benefits, such as creating jobs, and developing local regional infrastructures. For these reasons, politicians in the UK believe that practicing fracking would provide low cost, clean sources of energy with the potential for local energy independence (Allen, 2014). However, Hicks argues that fracking is not a good sustainable practice because the technique of extracting gas uses a significant amount of water and carcinogenic chemical causing great environment damage. Increasingly, adequate water resources are a big concern because many countries do not have enough water for their people. In addition, the chemicals used can escape during the gas extraction process and contaminate groundwater around the area. This water could then be used by farmers and thereby contaminate vegetables, or can be consumed by millions of people who live near the fracking sites. In 2011, the fracking process caused two small earthquakes of 1.1 and 2.2 magnitude in the Blackpool area, UK (What is fracking, 2013). Furthermore, some research has shown that communities involved in fracking can experience an increase of heavy traffic causing noise pollution, land fragmentation, and the loss of natural habitats. Therefore, fracking is not a sustainable practice for driving economic growth because it harms communities and industries, such as tourism, agriculture, food and beverages, and outdoor recreation (Business Concerns, n.d.). Another issue that obstructs sustainable development is income inequality because it relies on the exploitation of human and natural resources. This is unsustainable for social, environmental, and economics reasons since it results in the depletion of these resources. Although global income inequality has decreased over the past 25 years, it remains a problem because the richest, which constitutes one percent of the world’s population, owns about 40 percent of the world’s wealth, whereas the poor owns only one percent. Moreover, developed countries consume much more natural resources than developing countries. The huge consumption of developed countries has exploited the resources of developing countries and driven closer to many species extinction (Drexhage, 2010). Since natural resources are depleted to satisfy
Show More

Related Documents: Sustainability Culture Essay

Essay on Exam 3 Review

counterproductive) Stone: Sustainability Definition: * “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” * Managing your financial, social & environmental risks by focusing on the “triple bottom line,” profit, people & planet * Thinking this way can make a firm more RESILIENT over time (can survive shock) Sustainability Stages: 1) Compliance as opportunity (strategies for sustainability start with a legal threat)…

Words 743 - Pages 3

Interfaceraise Case Study Essay

InterfaceRAISE: Sustainability Consulting 1. What is InterfaceRAISE’s value proposition? InterfaceRAISE’s value proposition is that Interface’s firsthand experience in implementing sustainable strategies, practices and culture will accelerate other companies’ leanings and performance in this area. InterfaceRAISE will be a credible peer-to-peer consultancy in this field due to Interface’s reputation as a successful pioneer in sustainable manufacturing. Interface have a record since 1994 of embedding…

Words 1514 - Pages 7

Southwest Regulatory Issues

In the business decisions needing to be made with regard to business ethics and regulatory issues, business sustainability and corporate culture can be impacted. For example, noncompliance with regulations set forth by the FAA for safety and security, and well as the FTC, can impact Southwest’s ability sustainably operate in their environment. This is so, legal ramification can be brought against Southwest that are costly. Also, consumer’s trust can be broken, brand image can be blemished, and employee’s…

Words 469 - Pages 2

Ecotourism Essay

Yufei Wang No. 43140444 Ecotourism improve Sustainability of Tourism Industry Yufei Wang No. 43140444 Executive Summary In order to discuss the importance of ecotourism in improving sustainability of tourism development, this report is first of all going to discuss the relationship between ecotourism and sustainability; following that, this report is going to identify problems of ecotourism in reality. Sometimes ecotourism will be merely a form within tourism marketing, which means…

Words 2506 - Pages 11

Molick Scott Apple Sustainabilty Essay

Molick Scott Business Ethics Professor Crocitto 5/12/14 Sustainability of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is a multinational corporation that produces and markets a wide selection of Electronic devices, Hardware and Software and a range of other consumer goods. Founded in California, United States in 1976, Apple has grown to become one of the worlds must successful organizations in the area of personal computing and networking. Credited mainly to its late CEO, Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. has revolutionized the…

Words 1319 - Pages 6

Sustainable week analysis Essay

Rui Hu A00331605 Sustainability Week Summary In this activity, I planed how the activity should be and I tried to communicate with my teammates but few of them reply. As a result, I wrote the one-page proposal by myself. Afterwards, I contact with Cara wondering what I could do. I made ten questions which are about different areas such as paper saving, clear energy, emission cutting down, water crisis and food waste so that Cara can have more choices. (I am disappointed because Devin can’t answer…

Words 521 - Pages 3

Who Is Farhad's Character In The Movie Crash

The film Crash is exploding with complex characters and issues revolving around racism and social sustainability, but one character stands out in my mind, and that is Farhad. He proved to be the most paranoid character of the movie, and he portrayed the most in depth example of social sustainability and racism. I also believe that Farhad was affected the most by the lack of social sustainability and thus had the greatest effect of the story. This is all a result of Farhad originating as the discriminated…

Words 856 - Pages 4

Eco schools Essay

in Worcestershire Rupert Brakspear, Learning for Sustainability Officer: 01905 766378 rbrakspear@worcestershire.gov.uk Amy Lunt, Assistant Learning for Sustainability Officer: 01905 766809 alunt@worcestershire.gov.uk Some services below are now available through the Property Services Schools Service Level Agreement (SLA) ~ Energy Management Section ~ for details see www.edulink.networcs.net Supporting schools in embedding sustainability, through a whole school approach across campus, curriculum…

Words 443 - Pages 2

Creative Cities Analysis

cultural preservation. His idea that has currently grown into a global movement attempts to detach arts and culture from just having decorative purposes, and to embrace it as resources with massive potentials to drive urban regeneration (Vickery, 2011). Seeing its potential to propel three elements of social, economy and culture at the same time, aptly considered as the key elements of sustainability, the creative cities initiative is seen as a viable alternative method for the government…

Words 996 - Pages 4

The Importance Of Sustainability In Business

Sustainability in business refers to the long term strategic planning which incorporates organizational growth with positive environmental and societal continuity. More organisations are integrating sustainability into their everyday processes and these including producing and using green products, recycling and saving energy. Leadership in organisations is faced with the difficulty of balancing the expectations of different stakeholders while delivering on shareholder return. Although these expectations…

Words 890 - Pages 4