Essay for sustainable development

Daniel Gómez Lendı́nez

Mechanical Engineering Degree
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Spain
<daniel.glendinez@alumnos.uc3m.es>

October 17, 2010

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 How is possible that the humans with their rationality and love to the nature -we can
read it in many books- has allowed this? The planet is deteriorating very quickly and we
have do almost nothing to promote a sustainable development. Before to start talking
about how to put into practice this, I’m going to explain what is sustainable development
because maybe we could heard o read about it the mass media o in books, but very few
times we hear it’s definition. The sustainable development is a pattern of resource use
that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs
can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come. This definition was
established by UN in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro.

Our consumer society creates billions of tons of waste: industrials waste products, old
useless objects, packaging materials and agricultural waste. This problems arising from
poor spatial distribution of people, industries and wealth. The industrial accumulation,
the big density of the population in metropolitan areas and cities, and the gradual deser-
tion hurts us in a double way. Meanwhile, the quality of urban life deteriorates and the
cultivated areas for centuries become infertile lands. Human activity has always generate
of waste and pollution, it has not exceeded the capacity of rehabilitation of our planet
yet, but this capability is being carried to its limits.

Therefore, It is almost universally recognized that we must reconcile our economic and
social activity which the earth can stand, so, the responses can not be divided, and society
generally, must support this truth. Some people have said it is a song of environmentalists
and nothing else, even if the empirical and scientific evidence suggests that something
strange happens today in our beloved blue planet, moreover, they argue that all studies
that suggest to take action against climate change -energy more efficiently, smaller ve-
hicles, etc .- would ultimately hurt or the global economy.The sustainable development
benefits are many, starting in proper management of our environment, we guarantee that
we will have at least stable site over time in terms of climate and a long-term system if
we look at the flora, fauna and ecosystems correct cycle.

In theory, the advantages of a method to manage in a globalized environment around

us are these that they would be shared globally and enforced by all, according to our
level of capacity to meet the possible costs that can generate sustainable development,
i.e., equitable and fair. However, this scenario does not meet the requirements of many
politicians, that I repeat, they argue that the cost of a sustainable society would mean
job losses and economic decline.

And many people believe that their vision is very short term. But according to the
UN, to address the problem of climate change and striving toward achieving a more sus-
tainable environment, would cost a tiny fraction of the budgets of countries, mainly by the
reduction of emissions, efficiency and investment in new types of energy- , which would
create new jobs for research. The economic growth that would lost by environmental
regulations would be small compared to the total shutdown of the mass production of a
future and chaotic world, where we regret not acting sooner when costs were much lower
to solve the problems. However, lack a lot of awareness, especially in the more developed
countries, which have the greater responsibility for their large emissions of gases, and
according to the principle of equity, they are the ones who should pay more, at least in
a world of shared responsibilities and actions.

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 Relatively recently, over 50 years human beings have taken some awareness on the
issue of pollution and concern for the future of the planet, despite this interest, has only
really been in that, in interest because there are few projects to stop this global de-
struction. Certain countries, like ours, are committed to introduce large-scale renewable
energy, high percentage of waste recycled, etc. Others will not engage in any way, even
in a slow and gradual.

With all the above, does not mean we go to an apocalyptic future of the Earth. It
is important to realize that has not yet done enough and therefore we need to do a lot
more. The sectors in which we have to work more are: energy, development of social
welfare and agriculture. The last section will be viable when the population of the planet
is stable, since agricultural production will improve until a limit and may not continue
to produce sustainably upper that limit.The goal of humanity in terms of energy, must
be the to obtain a clean, cheap and safe, which can be supplied to the entire planet.
Consistent with this is to save and save the maximum energy expenditure and of course,
investing in research and develop ways to find this ´’miraculous ´’ energy. The renewable
energy sources are different from fossil fuels or power nuclear because of their diversity
and abundance.

It is considered that the Sun will supply these energy sources -solar radiation, wind,
rain, etc .- for the next four billion years. The first advantage of a certain amount of
renewable energy sources that do not produce greenhouse gases and other emissions, con-
trary to what happens with fuel, whether fossil or renewable. Some renewable sources
do not emit additional carbon dioxide, except those necessary for their construction and
operation, and they haven’t got additional risk, such as risk nuclear. However, some
renewable energy systems generate particular ecological problems.

The first wind turbines were dangerous to the birds because their blades spinning very
fast, while hydropower may create obstacles to the migration of certain fish, a serious
problem in many rivers in the world -in the rivers of northwestern North America leading
to the Pacific Ocean, the population fell drastically salmon-.An inherent problem with
renewable energy is its diffuse nature, with the exception of the geothermal energy which,
however, is only available where the crust is thin such as hot springs and geysers. Because
some renewable energy sources provide energy in a relatively low intensity, distributed
over large areas are needed new types of ´’ central´’ to turn them into usable sources.
The permanent electric energy production requires reliable power supplies or storage
media -storage systems by hydraulic pump, battery, future hydrogen fuel cells, etc .-.
So, due to the high cost of energy storage, a small autonomous system is rarely econom-
ical, except in isolated situations, when the connection to the network of energy costs
are higher.On the other hand, biomass is not really endless even being renewed. Its use
can be made only in limited cases. There are doubts about the capability of agricul-
ture to provide the quantities of plant mass necessary if this source is becoming popular,
which is showing the increase in grain prices due to their use for the production of biofuels.

On the other hand, all biofuels produce more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than
the equivalent fosiles. An obvious drawback of renewable energies is its visual impact on
the local environment. Some people hate the aesthetics of wind generators and argue the

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conservation of nature when they are speaking about the large solar electric installations
outside the cities. However, everyone finds pretty the ´’old windmills ´’that in his time,
were a good displays of technique available.

Others try to use these technologies in an effective and aesthetically pleasing: fixed
solar panels can double the noise barriers along highways, there are roofs available and
could even be replaced completely by solar panels, photovoltaic amorphous cells can be
use to tint windows and produce energy, etc. In the field of social welfare is to ensure
minimum conditions for all populations, including in this section the conservation of the
environment.

These preconditions are of course related to fundamental human rights, which even
now with the development has been achieved in industrialized countries, but there are
many people that haven’t got thar. This probably is the biggest difficulty we have at the
time of making a sustainable planet. Agriculture must be ecological but also with very
high performance to ensure the subsistence of the population that is growing in industri-
alized countries and less developed countries. In the first ones by the immigration, but it
is more needed that we think and in the second ones, due to high population growth, that
despite the high mortality, population levels were reached that the countries themselves
are unable to absorb, as people migrate.

With this last part, I mean to stop population growth and maintain an economy that
offers agriculture and sustainable exploitation of the environment, we can start help-
ing those less fortunate, giving them tools with they can develop in all it aspects.All
above would be possible if, for example, all countries give the money of military spend-
ing projects for sustainable development, i.e., to invest exactly the same money that is
dedicated to the destruction in many cases, since the only thing that would exist should
the cooperation and assistance among different peoples and nations of the international
community.

An example of a sustainable culture is the Latin-American culture. The Latin-

American ethnic areas were and still are today scenarios of survival strategies of ethno-
eco-development through sustainable economic development practices, so it generated sig-
nificant public works and agricultural technologies for sustainable use of water resources
and for increased soil fertility, techniques for water conservation and erosion prevention,
as well as several agroecological innovations and strategies terraces, chinampas, sidewalks
and medians.

This vast repertoire of technical knowledge and productive practices, allowed the de-
velopment and guided the evolution of different cultures living in the Andean region and
the American tropics. American Indian cultures have been preserved and redefined their
identities in interethnic encounters and mergers in the pre-Hispanic period and mixing
processes that followed after the Spanish and Portuguese conquests.

A free-market strategy can not bridge the gap between rich and poor, the dualisms
characteristic of our time. Rather, I propose an approach recognizes that natural re-
sources are limited, focusing on issues of poverty and sustainability, providing a rural
development program for those currently excluded and which also improve conditions in

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the rest of society.

The increasing number of poor and growing environmental problems require solutions
that are less dependent on the vagaries of the market, taking into account the redundant
it is for large portions of the population its insertion in the current structure of produc-
tion and growth economic and, in consequence, strengthen the people, creating a system
in which communities can survive without a complete integration global.The market re-
search shows that when given opportunity and access to resources, the poor, rather than
other social groups are likely to take direct action to protect and improve the environment.

From this perspective, then, an alternative development model requires new forms of
direct participation of peasant and indigenous communities in a program of job creation
in rural areas, to increase incomes and improve living standards. To recommend policies
that promote and safeguard the farmers in their efforts to become a social force again
vibrant and viable and productive, this paper aims to contribute to the knowledge of the
steps required to promote sustainability.

In short, it is our duty as inhabitants of this planet, conserve and care for future
generations can enjoy it.