Category: Environment

Introduction

Historic preservation refers to the application of looking after and maintaining sites, constructions, items, scene(s) or other relics that are of remarkable implication. These preservations more often than not are implications of local or nationwide cultural, societal, fiscal, governmental, archaeological or architectural narration. The key point here is that preservation takes place for a built environment (Hazen).

There are a host of other terms that are used to refer to this practice and they include heritage conservation, landscape preservation, object conservation, immovable object conservation, among others. Historic preservation is the term widely used to refer to these activities in America and Canada.

On the other hand, environmental conservation is a moral principle that relates resource exploitation, allotment, and safeguard. The most important emphasis of environmental conservation is upon keeping up the wellbeing of the natural world. The elements in focus include fisheries, habitations and natural multiplicity.

Resultant emphasis is on matter preservation and energy preservation, elements which are vital to the safeguard of the natural earth. The people who go after the conservation moral principle and work to achieve conservation aims are referred to as conservationists.

Historic preservation holds a lot of varied benefits for humanity. These include the reinforcing of local financial systems, evening out of assets worth, promoting of local attractiveness and society pride, and the positive reception of local and state-run history. The practice also serves as a community function that moves forward the learning and wellbeing of nationals at the same time as endow them with monetary and visual gains as well (Hazen).

Environmental conservation holds an even greater importance for the existence of life on earth. An ever-growing world population, fast alteration of vital habitation to other exploits, and the widening of insidious kind to foreign-born habitations create a severe danger to the planets innate resources and to the rest of forms of life that rely on them for foodstuff, energy, protection and medication.

Guiding principles that disfigure marketplaces and offer inducements for unsustainable progress always end stepping up the predicament. With each passing year, there is a net loss of twenty two million acres of forested land globally. At the same time, deadly compounds, with some of them have the capability to move thousands of land, water and air miles from their starting place and lasting for long in the environment.

History of historic preservation

One of the earliest remarkable preservation labors in the United States was the Washingtons Headquarters State Historic Site. It was the foremost asset chosen as a historic site by an American state and was situated in New York. Another ancient preservation was that by George Washington in 1858. It was Mount Vemon. The original state-run significant preservation congress was in 1889. It was referred to as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.

As the name implies, this group was based in Virginia. One of the most significant laws touching on preservation came up in 1906. It was referred to as the Antiquities Act and has ended up having an in-depth effect on the protection of the American civilizing and innate tradition. Recreational areas which are varied like Grand Canyon and Olympic National Park owe their existence to this piece of legislation (Harmon, 4). These and a host of other archaeological sites have been safeguarded for all future generations.

Later on in 1930, the first historic preservation edict came to being in Charleston, South Carolina and the architectural company of Simons and Lapham was instrumental in the creation. The second such edict took place in New Orleans.

In 1949, the United States National Trust for Historic Preservation began. This was a non-profit association financed in private and held a few honored assets (Hazen). Later in 1951, this entity took over the running of its first museum asset. This was Woodlawn Plantation in the north of Virginia.

The obliteration of Pennsylvania Station in 1964 was astounding to many US citizens and it ended up encouraging scores of them into propping up preservation. On the intercontinental platform, the World Monuments Fund was established in 1965 in New York and its primary purpose was the preservation of historic sites worldwide. The education sector was not left behind as the initial curriculum for an advanced-degree in historic preservation took place in 1964.

This was at Columbia University and it turned out to be the replica on which a majority of other graduate historic preservation curriculums were established. In 1975 there followed a Masters Degree in Preservation Planning and Historic Preservation from Comell and the University of Vermont respectively. Other institutions followed suit and at present there are community colleges that provide opportunities for Associates Degrees in Historic Preservation.

In the UK, the antiquarian concerns were a well-known gentlemans recreation from as early as mid 17th century, and it advanced together with the growth of technical inquisitiveness. In the year 1882, the original Ancient Monuments Protection Act was agreed to.

The United Kingdoms Ancient Monuments Act of 1913 formally safeguarded some out of date constructions of inherent historical and associative importance, the same way modernism was extending right power to devastation of the built legacy in the name of development.

The National Trust of UK commenced with the safeguarding of notable buildings and has progressively advanced its span (Hazen). In 1944 there arose the Town and Country Planning Act. This particular decree was revised to ensure improved effectiveness more recently in 1990 and held on to the same name.

History of environmental conservation

The unease for environmental conservation has persisted in varied manners, in various parts of the world through history. For instance, in the Middle East, the initial known inscriptions touching on environmental contamination were created in the period of the Arab Agricultural Revolution. They laid emphasis on atmosphere, water, and earth contamination. They also touched on solid dissipate mismanagement and environmental appraisals of various districts.

King Edward I of England went ahead in a significant step to outlaw the burn up of sea coal. This was in 1272 and it was as a result of the fuels smoke turning out to be a nuisance. Nevertheless, air contamination went on being a problem in England in the period of the Industrial Revolution and expanding into the not a long while ago Great Smog of 1952.

In Europe, the Industrial Revolution brought about contemporary environmental contamination as it by and large recognized in the present day. The coming up of big plants and use of great volumes of coal and other fossil sources of energy led to unparalleled air contamination and the high quantities of industrial chemical releases added to the expanding pack of unprocessed human waste.

The Leblanc process of producing soda ash ejected hazardous air contamination. This led to the crafting by environmentalists of the British Alkali Acts in 1863 to control more harm. Environmentalism developed out of the amenity interest group, which was a rejoinder to industrialization, the development of urban centers, and aggravating air and water contamination.

In the United States, the origins of an environmental movement can be mapped out to the year 1739. Philadelphia inhabitants, including Benjamin Franklin, referred to civic rights and called upon the Pennsylvania Assembly to put an end to waste deposit and get rid of tanneries from the regions business locality. The environmental movement grew in the 1800s out of concerns for safeguarding the innate resources.

In the 20th century, initiatives relating to the environment kept on advancing in regard and esteem. Energies were beginning to be directed to save some flora and fauna, especially the American Bison. The demise of the last Passenger Pigeon as well as the endangered status of the American Bison led to the focus of the efforts of conservation experts and making their worries popular with the people. The National Park Service was set up by the then president in 1916 (Harmon, 4).

A publication which many quarters have reckoned to be the most potent piece of writing touching on environmental conservation was put out in 1949 (Hazen). It was by Aldo Leopold and was titled A Sand County Almanac and it gave details that humanity needs to hold ethical respect for the environment.

In the course of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and the years after, use of photos was the main means of augmenting civic consciousness of the need for preserving land and getting people to join environmental groups.

American biologist Rachel Carson published a book titled Silent Spring in 1962 and it highlighted the environmental effects of the uncontrolled spraying of DDT in the nation. It also queried the rationale behind the ejection of high volumes of chemicals into the environment minus entirely being aware of their impacts on ecology or humankind wellbeing.

The consequential civic concern is what inspired the establishment of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This took place in 1970 and later in 1972 this body outlawed any agricultural DDT in America.

During the 1970s, the Chipko movement was established in India. It was inspired by Mohandas Gandhi and its supporters carried out nonviolent opposition to deforestation. They did this by practically hugging tress and it proved to be a very powerful tool.

By the mid-1970s, a lot of experts were of the opinion that the world populace was on the edge of environmental devastation. Initiatives of environmental morals combined with anti-Vietnam War reactions and other political matters. Around the same period, more conventional environmentalism was beginning to manifest might with the enactment of the Endangered Species Act in 1973 and the establishment of CITES in 1975 (Hazen).

A very educative publication by James Lovelock was done in 1979 and remains great up to date. It was titled A new look at life on Earth and it had the Gaia Hypothesis which suggests that life on earth can be taken as a single living being. This turned out to be a vital component of the Deep Green philosophy. In the recent times, environmentalism has had to deal with aspects such as global temperature rise and genetic engineering.

Conclusion

The two movements discussed here are important for the existence and advancement of humanity and other forms of life on earth. It is therefore necessary for conservation and protection of the environment and historic assets/monuments. Environmental skeptics need to be shunned as they disagree with the facts brought up by environmental experts. Anti-environmentalists also have to be ignored when they claim that our planet is resilient enough not to be harmed by humanitys exploits.

Works Cited

Harmon, David. The Antiquities Act: A Century of American Archaeology, Historic Preservation, and Nature Conservation. 2006. The University of Arizona Press. Hazen T. R. Environmental and historic preservation. 2000. Web.

Introduction

This report describes our project, which is a business that is environment friendly. The focus on eco-business stems from the understanding that the transformation of our environment brings with it intricate relationships bearing both enterprise and livelihood opportunities.^[1]

Consequently, the project we came up with, as Spedding advices, is financially viability, environmentally sustainability, and socio-culturally acceptable.^[2] Much of what is presented in this paper stems from my role in developing the project. My main contribution to the project consisted in researching on different aspects of the business and doing a market analysis.

Business Idea Generation Process

The idea for our Eco-business dawned on us after scanning the New York City (NYC) neighborhoods. NYC being an urban area, many of the inhabitants are preoccupied throughout the day in their various jobs. Therefore, it is very difficult for them to engage in gardening or any other activity of the same nature.

While carrying out our survey, we realized that in NYC there are a number of individuals engaged in community gardening. However, upon further investigations, our respondents intimated to us that despite the numerous faming activities that take place in the area, people find it difficult to partake in those farming activities due to time constraints.

Secondly, in order for them to engage in farming, they have to travel a long distance to community gardens. Moreover, growing vegetables at home tends to be impossible due to lack of implements that would facilitate the same. Finally, many residents that we spoke to do not know where they could buy implements for home gardens.

Business Branding

Having identified the aforementioned concerns, we recognized a prime business opportunity. Our business idea revolves around assisting or helping NYC people to start growing vegetables in the comfort of their homes. We are keen on helping people start growing vegetables for their own consumption but also because of the related environmental benefits.

In so doing, we came up with a brilliant idea that we now call INTO-MEET-SEE. We chose the brand name because we hope to encourage people to take plants into their homes. Our brand name suggests to individuals that, bring a plant INTO your home then you could MEET green around you.

In addition, this phrase has in itself profound insight than the ones overtly seen. In fact, in our opinion, the brand name implies let us make intimate connection with nature and the environment. In other words, the business idea involves helping people to be friendly with the natural environment thus being ready to preserve it. Consequently, our idea will to promote a development platform that enables people to meet their needs without compromising the livelihood of future generations.^[3]

Main Project Activities

Our project recognizes that despite many people sustainable development is very critical.^[4] Since development tends to be perceived to entail the degradation of the environment. Our business entails various activities including online business, renting planter, selling planter-kit, selling holiday kit, as well as events and promotions.

Our promotional activities involve the establishment of an open market, each season, so that people can come and exchange whatever they have grown. Secondly, we provide website services through which members can post pictures of their plants, and share gardening tips. Third, we provide a weekly-customized planter to customers as a way of enhancing the growing trend of Eco-green movement.

Profit Story

As a business entity, we will generate profit from the sale of complete plant kit. Furthermore, we have other products such as events-holiday kit, customized planter, and fertilizer. We predict that the selling of fertilizer will be our major profit source once the market is saturated with our planter kits. The fertilizer will be generated from organic material, which can be obtained free of charge from garbage collection centers.

We plan to obtain leftovers from Wal-Mart, Costco, restaurants, spent-grain Microbrewery, and Coffee grain. Furthermore, in order to enhance profitability, we will use a hybrid truck in transporting the fertilizer. Moreover, we will carry out our transportation within a 100 miles radius, hence making our business more sustainable. In addition to the radii of transportation and the use of hybrid transportation, we also use recycled paper for broaches and catalog. This will help ensure that there is no wastage of materials.

Project Sustainability

The materials we use are biodegradable hence harmless to the environment. Additionally we make planter from recyclable materials. Most importantly, the kind of fertilizer that we use is completely organic. Consequently, our project is sustainable because it uses less costly materials effectively and with no harmful effect on ecosystem.

To determine the viability of our project, we did a SWOT analysis and came up with various factors, which we have to address. Regarding strengths, our business is 100% environment friendly hence a positive brand image. The project is also profitable due to the minimal costs incurred in obtaining materials as mentioned earlier in this essay. The greatest opportunity for our project emanates from the current eco-green trend that many people have taken to with gusto.

We believe that many people will find our product timely and very beneficial. However, the weakness of our project is that it tends to be hard to increase awareness especially because we are limited to the 100 miles radius. Through the internet we can advertise our products widely, but the logistics of delivering the products may prove challenging. The most critical threats that our project faces include high competition since the project is easy to imitate.

Conclusion

The trend of coming up with eco-friendly business ventures started long ago. However, what eco-friendly means has changed over time. For instance, in 1962, Rachel Carson helped change understanding for environmental degradation from merely deforestation, mining destruction, factory pollution, and other visible changes.^[5]

She illustrated that insidious degradation is evidenced in absence of birds to sing and move across the mountains, because of peoples behavior to devastate the natural environment.^[6] This assertion was quite simple but very profound in the sense that it created the awareness that industrial chemicals were bound to destroy the peace and tranquility in the natural world.

One critical element we endeavored to include in our project is recycling. Recycling is understood to be aspirin, alleviating a rather large collective hangover&overconsumption.^[7] To us, the use of recycled materials was a measure of lowering the environmental effect of garbage materials.

The recycling culture entails producing and then disposing less.^[8] We strongly believe that our project is an instrument through which one can create awareness about eco-friendly approach to business. Through a project like ours, we believe biodiversity loss is reduced. Biodiversity is very critical because an ecosystem is only stable when biodiversity is enhanced^[9].

Bibliography

Livio, DeSimone D. & Frank Popoff. Eco-Efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development. Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2000.

McDonough, William and Michael Braungart. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. New York: North Point Press, 2002.

Michael, Redclift R. Sustainable Development (1997-2005)  An Oxymoron Comes of Age. Sustainable Development 13 (2005): pp.212-227. Web.

Raimund, Bleischwitz & Peter Hennicke. Eco-Efficiency, Regulation and Sustainable Business: Towards A Governance Structure for Sustainable Development. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2004.

Spedding, Linda S. Environmental Management for Business. 2^nd Ed. New York: J. Wiley, 1996.

Footnotes

1. Linda S. Spedding, Environmental Management for Business. 2nd Ed., (New York: J. Wiley, 1996), 33.
2. Ibid, 41.
3. Bleischwitz Raimund & Peter Hennicke, Eco-Efficiency, Regulation, and Sustainable Business: Towards A Governance Structure for Sustainable Development (Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2004), 113.
4. Michael Redclift, Sustainable Development (1997-2005)  An Oxymoron Comes of Age, Sustainable Development 13 (2005),212.
5. William McDonough and Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, (New York: North Point Press, 2002), 47.
6. Idem.
7. William and Braungart, 47.
8. Idem.
9. DeSimone, Livio D. & Frank Popoff, Eco-Efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development (Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2000), 35.

The term superfund site was first defined by the compensation and liabilities act of 1980 as a toxic waste site which requires cleanup (Smith, 2010, p. 2). Basically, such sites are listed under the National priorities list as requiring government sponsored clean-up exercises because of the danger they pose to the general environment. Superfund sites are therefore abandoned waste sites that require clean up; a task which is normally undertaken by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Smith, 2010, p. 2).

Superfund Site in Eastern United States

A major Superfund site in Eastern United States is the 914th Airlift Wing  AFRC, located just beneath the Love Canal, Niagra falls in New York (EPA, 2010). This site originally grew out of the outright neglect of the environment by the locals and other inhabitants surrounding the area. This site is located in region 2, under the EPA categorization of Superfund sites in the US (EPA, 2010, p. 1).

Its possible existence is nothing different from the factors leading to the emergence of more than 250 superfund sites in Eastern US because it started from the disposal of toxic waste materials by businessmen operating in the region (EPA, 2010, p. 1). The sites emergence was caused by accident spills and leaks that prompted the contamination of the ecosystem with toxic waste materials to destabilize the once sound human, animal and plant coexistence in the region.

Where is the Problem?

The biggest problem noted with the 914th Airlift Wing  AFRC supersite is the obvious abandonment of the environment by the locals and relevant authorities. It is a well-known fact that the supersite emerged out of decades of neglect by the relevant authorities and locals (EPA, 2010, p. 1).

Constant toxicity had been noted in the region but little was done to stop the contamination. However, this problem was observed back in the 80s; today, even though a superfund program has been established, there is little evidence that there are concerted and coordinated efforts between the tribal and state governments which have the power to clean up the site (EPA, 2010, p. 1). This is the major problem plaguing the area right now.

Contamination

Considering 914th Airlift Wing  AFRC superfund site is located next to Niagra falls in New York; the major type of contamination has been water contamination. This has led to the death of aquatic life in the area and an equal loss of business because tourist activities have decreased with an increase in the contamination of water in the surrounding ecological zones. However, water contamination is not the only type of contamination in the area because soil and air contamination have also been evidenced (EPA, 2010, p. 1).

This comes about because industrial activities in the area have greatly contributed to an increase in pollution but the most unfortunate thing is that; not much has been done to avert the situation in the past decade or so. Out of this neglect, surface water and ground water have been contaminated as well, and this poses a danger to the water supply of the area (considering surface and ground water are the major sources of water in the area).

Who Created the Problem?

The problem plaguing 914th Airlift Wing  AFRC site was majorly created by industrial activities in the area, coupled by pollution activities started by rogue businessmen operating in the region. These businessmen created the problem because from their industrial activities, they have constantly discharged toxic emissions into the air and existing water channels.

This has in turn caused soil pollution. The reason why the problem escalated was neglect by the local authorities of the environmental degradation going on and so the businessmen took advantage of the situation to make more money and go unaccountable for their environmental pollution. Basically, they avoided using money to reduce their environmental impact and this worsened the situation further (EPA, 2010, p. 1).

Clean up

Various zones of the 914th Airlift Wing  AFRC superfund site have in the past been cleaned out through various initiatives started by the local government. EPA has been at the forefront in doing so and through their website, they affirm that By 2020, EPA and its state partners will strive to construct final remedies at 95% of the 3,746 facilities believed to need Corrective Action (EPA, 2010, p. 1).

These activities have been further supported by efforts to educate relevant stakeholders on the environmental impact of the industrial activities going on in the area but other efforts have been directed at providing guidance to businessmen and offering training and regulatory resources to reduce the rate of environmental degradation in the area (EPA, 2010, p. 1).

Conclusion

To avert the impact of pollution on the environment at 914th Airlift Wing  AFRC superfund site, there is a strong need to enforce environmental laws to deter people from causing further pollution. Firstly, it is important to enforce these laws because environmental concerns are not only a national issue but a global one (Goldstein, 2006, p. 1).

There is therefore a strong need to protect global interests and not only local ones. This means that the locality need not only be governed by local laws but also by international environmental laws. Furthermore, through the implementation of laws, businessmen can be prevented from causing further pollution because heavy fines will be imposed on them when they do so. This will ultimately deter everybody from polluting the environment.

References

EPA. (2010). New York Sites. Web.

Goldstein, R. (2006). What is Environmental Law and How Can You Study It? Web.

Smith, S. (2010). What is a Superfund Site? Web.

Meaning of keystone species in Traditional Ecology

In the field of ecology, key stone species refer to special species within an ecological system. This species are responsible for ecological balance within their ecology in such a way that their removal produces a disproportionate effect on the ecology not commensurate to their relative availability (Bond, 1994, p. 237). This concept led to the understanding of the relative importance of each species in an ecosystem. Conservationists now determine the impact of the loss of a single species from an ecosystem based on this concept.

The term has found wide usage in many fields, which exhibit ecological characteristics. This includes law, computer science, and library science. This means that disciplines with units that interact in such a way that they influence one another can use the term ecology. It is also possible to identify a keystone species within such an ecological environment. In IT, the term refers to the interconnected nature of information sources describable as information ecology.

Generic keystone species Equivalent in All Information Ecologies

All natural ecologies have keystone species. The very comparison of the information management process to natural ecological systems presupposes the presence of keystone species in information ecologies. Natural ecological balance does not rely on the influence of single species.

It is the result of a comprehensive balance of influence from all species present. This applies to information ecologies. The species in the information ecology live with significant tension in relation to each other (Hasenyager, 1996). As the system develops, there is no external influence to ensure balanced influence from each component of the ecology. Rather, there is a natural tension, where each species vies for and commands a certain degree of influence. This process of establishing a natural order ends up producing keystone species.

Application of the Concept in Relation to Particular Information Ecologies

Nardi and ODay (1999) identify five aspects of information ecology. They are the system, diversity, co-evolution, keystone species, and locality. This is a useful criterion for identifying information ecologies. To demonstrate this phenomenon, we will use the example of a supermarket. A supermarket as an information ecology provides a place where different actors meet to transact business.

Suppliers bring their products to the supermarket while consumers come to purchase them. The supermarket offers a dynamic environment for the exchange to take place.

They key identifier of a system are, strong interrelationships and dependencies among different its parts (Nardi & ODay, 1999). The relationship between the suppliers and the supermarket is contractual, monetary and involves trust. On the other hand, that of the supermarket and its customers relies on loyalty and great customer service. Within the supermarket, there are different types of employees who constitute the workforce of the super market.

They range from tellers, floor supervisors, store workers, and management. They execute different functions including procurement, stock management, and point of sale services, among others. Clearly, a supermarket qualifies to be an example of information ecology on the first count.

The diversity in the supermarket shows up in the difference in roles of the species in the ecology. Each category plays a vital role to keep the system running. Customers keep buying, while suppliers keep supplying. The supermarket keeps providing the interface between them. If any of these three categories of species stopped their functions, the entire system would collapse.

The three major species also co-evolve in this information ecology. Customer tastes and preferences change so the suppliers continually adapt their products to meet the emerging needs. Supermarkets also constantly adapt their systems to ensure that the customers get the best possible services. In the past, all supermarkets relied on tills and all customers bought using cash. Now, they have credit and loyalty cards that make purchasing goods easier. Some even accept bank credit and debit cards.

The fourth condition Nardi and ODay (1999) specified is the presence of keystone species. In a supermarket, the customers and to some extent the suppliers are the keystone species. No matter how efficient and well organized a supermarket is, it will only survive for a couple of months if no one bought goods from it.

If you remove the customers from the equation, the ecology becomes extinct. On the other hand, if suppliers refused to bring their goods to a particular supermarket, the same result follows. The removal of the supermarket from the ecology complicates the arrangement between the suppliers and the customer. However, they have the option of making alternative arrangements to continue with their relationship. The ecology can survive after the removal of the supermarket but not any other member of its system.

The final condition is locality. The supermarket is a fixed place and clients come to meet there. The technological systems that allow for the continuation of the complex relationships exist there.

What the Attempt to Apply this Concept Tell us About the General Idea of Information Ecologies

There are two major lessons we learn from the application of this concept. The first lesson is the similarity of human interaction with other natural interactions between species. It is amazing just how similar man made systems mimic natural systems complete with the consequences.

Technology remains the greatest expression of the advancement of human society. Therefore, finding this kind of similarity between nature and human endeavor provides impetus for us humans to pay more attention to nature because it still holds solutions to our problems.

The second lesson is that it tells us that systems rely on certain key players, the keystone species, without whom the whole system crumbles. The practice of information management will benefit from identifying the keystone species in all information ecologies to ensure that the role they play remains protected. It is clear that anything short of this may result in an ecological disaster.

Costs and Benefits of This Approach

The cost associated with this approach is that it may lead to the impression that some of the information ecology components are not critical. This assumption may lead to neglect of vital functions while seeking to protect the keystone species. The key thing in the relationships is to remember that all components matter.

Their influence varies, but removal of any one of them affects the ecology somewhat. The second cost is the difficulty of identifying the keystone species. They are not necessarily the largest or the most obvious. Finding them requires careful observation.

Keystone species are usually noticed when they are removed or they disappear from an ecosystem, resulting in dramatic changes to the rest of the community (Illman, 1996). By then it may be late to save the ecosystem. In addition, they are complex, ambiguous, and non-linear (Baker & Bowker).

The key benefit of this approach is that it promotes systems thinking, which is very useful for analyzing modern day problems. It requires careful analysis of each component of the information ecosystem to determine its value and the possible consequences of its removal or destruction.

It is a very useful way of conducting risk analysis to decide on risk management measures. Its broad view encompassing not just human beings but equipment also provides a better way of determining the most efficient way to run processes, without causing harm to the information ecosystem.

Congruence in Terminology

The preferred position would be universal usage of terms by all persons concerned. This means that top management and IT managers should use similar terms when referring to the same things.

However, we must acknowledge that every trade has its lingo. As a specialist area, IT uses various terms that refer to certain elements of their work that have very different meanings for top managers who may be specialized in other fields. The redeeming quality of the term information ecology and its taxonomy is that it comes from a non-IT and non-management background.

This makes it a midpoint between the two extremes because either party must learn the meanings from the parent discipline. This probably gives a model that when applied will help to reduce the constant misunderstanding between IT managers and top managers. The concept provides a powerful model for understanding the forces that organize ecological communities, and it has influenced the thinking of managers and policy makers as they set priorities (Illman, 1996).

Reference List

Baker, K. S. & Bowker, G. C. (n.d.). Information Ecology: Open System Environment for Data, Memories, and Knowing. Web.

Bond, W. J. (1994). Keystone Species. In E.-D. Schulze & H. A. Mooney, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function: (pp. 237-254). New York: Springer.

Hasenyager, B. W. (1996). Managing the Information Ecology: A Colaborative Approach to Information Technology Management. Westport CT: Greenwood Publishing.

Illman, D. L. (1996). Keystone Species Hypothesis. Retrieved from Pathbreakers: A Century of Excellence in Science and Technology at the University of Washington.

Nardi, B. A. & ODay, V. L. (1999). Information Ecologies. First Monday: Peer Reviwed Journal on the Internet, IV (5).

Introduction

Sustainability can be defined as the ability to carry on with something or simply to endure .When this term is applied in ecological studies, it describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive overtime (Cunningham 13).

A lot of evidence currently indicates that the worlds population is increasing at a very fast rate especially in the developing countries. This also means that the current population is almost going beyond the earths capacity to accommodate human beings. This high population growth rate is likely to strain further the already scarce resources.

According to the 2008 report that was made by Footprint, there is already a 30% deficit on the resources needed to sustain human beings. Even though the world resources are getting depleted, we can still sustain the ecosystem of the world through the following measures. Human beings should strive to reduce environmental degradation. The scarce resources should also be utilized properly. Human beings can also diversify their resources. For example they can use other renewable sources of energy instead of relying much in fossil fuels.

Renewable and non Renewable Resources

A renewable resource can be defined as a resource which can be replaced through a natural process. Solar and wind energy are two common examples of resources that can be renewed. The industrial revolution has led to over exploitation of the renewable resources.

A non renewable resource refers to those natural resources that cannot be replaced ones they have been exploited. The rate of consumption of their consumption is also seen to be relatively high as compared to the consumption of renewable resources. Examples of non renewable resources include the following: petroleum, coal and uranium.

Ways of Reducing Population Growth

Population growth refers to the pace at which the size of a particular place increases. There is also a close connection between population growth and fertility. The rate of population growth should be put under control because of the few resources at present. High population growth rates can lead to serious environmental degradation and food scarcity.

Reduction of the rate of population growth refers to the artificial methods of controlling population growth. Various countries have experienced serious problems associated with high levels of population growth and their governments came up with mechanisms to manage their high rates of population growth.

In china there is a policy of having only one child in a family. Giving birth to more than one child is totally discouraged. People who give birth out of marriage or illegally are always penalized. For example they can be fined. This policy was introduced in china around 1978. It was aimed at solving Chinas social-economic problems which were triggered by the high population. This policy has however faced much criticism in and outside China. This is because it has been recklessly implemented and mismanaged.

In India the same policy has also been practiced. In this case they encourage the citizens to have two children in a family. Only those people with two children and below are legible to vie for public offices in India. Apart from this measure, they have also been using contraceptives.

Iran has been successful in reducing its population growth rate. In Iran, it is compulsory for people to attend family panning courses before they can be given marriage certificates. The government of Iran has greatly stressed on the importance of having small families. It also encourages the citizens to use contraceptives. In USA the government made reproductive health care and education accessible to its citizens. This helped in solving cases of unwanted births.

The Manufacture and Use of Paper

Paper is a product which is manufactured by combining fibers derived from timber. The manufacturing process is quite elaborate. The fibers from wood contain cellulose. Hydrogen bonding is what holds the fibers together. Wood is cut into various sizes and the process called plumping begins.

At this stage, the wood fibers are divided. After that the product is placed inside boilers. The wood chips are then compressed using a special machine. Chemicals are then added to the materials. The product is then dried and finally the paper is cut into different shapes for use. Papers are always used for different activities ranging from writing to printing depending on the paper quality and grade. Waste papers can always be recycled and used for making other papers of low quality like tissue papers.

Conclusion

Due to the high level environmental degradation that stems from poor environmental management, the world ecosystem is really changing. Scientists have envisaged serious environmental challenges if the current global environment is not properly managed.

For example global warming is on the increase and this will adversely affect the human race if not properly checked. For example ice that is melting from the Polar region is already causing floods in some places. I strongly believe that if human beings across the world can be taught how to manage the scarce resources, then they can be able to protect the environment from further degradation.

Works Cited

Cunningham, William. Principles of environmental scince. New York: Mc Graw-Hill, 2010.

THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE

William Butler Yeats in the poem THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE observes the peaceful collaboration and living of nature; nature has different components that co-exist with each other if uninterrupted. He portrays how different element of nature work for the benefit of each other.

They have overflowing peace and live for the good of the other. Nature has its own way of providing a life to the other however, when man exploits nature he does so with a selfish mind, he want to use the elements of nature for his own benefit without considering the dangers caused to the same environment exploited.

Human attitude towards environmental damage is that the environment exists for human benefit; environment should be exploited for the good of man and at no any one point should exploiting the environment be seen to be destructive.

Man from the poem is considered to be taking advantage of existence of nature for his own benefit; he is seen to be ignorant of any benefit that he can bring to nature but his interests are on how he is going to benefit.

The Fish

Elizabeth Bishop in the poem The Fish portrays the picture and the emotional attachment that a fisherman gets after catching a fish. She portrays how cruel human beings are when destroying nature in the efforts of satisfying their need.

The environment is portrayed as a source of live hood; the poem brings out three beneficiaries in the exercise, the fisherman, the boat owner and the final consumer. Little was done by either party to restore the environment. The beauty of nature and environment is brought about by the description given for the aquatic life caught.

The poem portrays people to have a dont care attitude to the dangers they do on the environment. It shows how selfish human beings are however; it recognizes the need to exploit the environment for food and live hood.

Energy Boom in West Threatens Indian Artifacts

According to KIRK JOHNSON, article in New York Times; Energy Boom in West Threatens Indian Artifacts, exploitation of energy for various industrial use is threatening archeological and historical facts. According to the article, human being are more interested in satisfying their current economic need but are not concerned on saving preserving the environment.

When they exploit resources for current need, they are seen to be doing this with little regard of future generation. Environmental problems of current generation was brought about by exploitation of resources by past generation and if the modern generation fails to take appropriate measures to conserve the environment then future generations are likely to suffer.

People develop concepts like environmental sustainability and sustainable development but they do not follow them. They have an ignoring attitude to the effects of environmental damage especially for those products that are exhaustible like oil. In exploitation, people are guided by greed and self interests thus are willing to destroy the environment for their own use without any regard of future generations.

Conclusion

All the three articles have a similarity in that they have portrayed peoples negative attitude towards environmental conservation thus encouraging environmental damage. The writers are of the opinion that environmental damage occurs as man exploit natural resources for his benefit. They acknowledge that exploitation is necessary for live-hood but conservation and restoration measures should be taken.

With the increasing visible effects of environmental degradation, the need to use recyclables has become an integral part of every days campaigns aimed at preserving the environment from further degradation.

These like efforts have risen because of the realization by human beings that the world is at the verge of destruction as more and more wastes and gases have continued to accumulate in the environment. Prior to the realization of the significance of using recyclables, most individuals viewed using of recyclables only as mechanism of utilizing well natural resources.

With the increasing depletion of this natural resources and the need to find better ways of preserving the environment, most people nowadays appreciate the need to convert trash into recyclable materials for use. Recycling is primarily the process of converting used materials into some raw material form after which the raw materials are reprocessed into some usable form.

Recyclables play an integral role of saving a countrys environment, energy, natural resources, and foreign spending, which in most cases is in from of imports (Arms 1-7). Therefore, the process of converting trash into recyclables is of great significance to the well being of a nation not only in terms of environmental safety, but also politically and economically.

Environmental degradation is one of the worst threats to the survival of not only future generations, but also present ones, because of the numerous calamities that have faced most global communities over the recent past. Such calamities have resulted from the increasing pollution levels in the environment, which have triggered environmental hazards such as floods and diseases.

When these like calamities strike, the government is usually forced to spend millions of dollars to cater for needs of the affected; funds which can be used in other important development projects.

One thing that most individuals do not recognize is that, although most waste materials, which are either burnt or disposed off to the environment are not biodegradable, such materials can be recycled and be converted into other useful forms. For example, although most plastic materials are recyclable, most individuals have a tendency of burning them instead of reprocessing them.

When burnt, this plastics release harmful gases into the environment, which can cause serious respiratory infections when inhaled. However, through encouraging recycling the government saves millions of dollars, which were previously spent on pollution related hazards (Adams 1).

The process of converting waste into useful materials has also numerous economic advantages. To start with, recycling promotes proper utilization resources. Due to the fact that most non-biodegradable materials can be converted into other useful forms, recycling is one of the primary methodologies of reducing wastage of resources. Therefore, through converting thrash into recyclable items, a government is able to preserve its resources or convert them into different development initiatives.

A second economic significance of converting wastes into recyclable items is the minimization of expenditure on production processes, which require fresh supplies of raw materials. For example, instead of using tress to produce paper, the recycling process has helped the government to reprocess used paper into more usable paper at a cheaper cost, than producing them from fresh trees. This process is cost effective as compared to the former, as it has offered the government an opportunity of recreating value in waste papers.

Reprocessing recyclable materials also has helped societies to cut down costs, which are associated with the disposing process in addition to saving numerous acres of land used as landfills. On the other hand, recycling plants are one of the primary job creators, as these industries have offered numerous Americans job opportunities; hence, boosting their quality of life. Further, just like any other goods, recyclable materials have also a wide market all over the world.

Hence, export proceeds from these goods are one of the primary boosters of the economy, as proceeds from this industry have surpassed returns from most manufacturing and processing industries. For example, recycling of recycled aluminum is one the most profitable industrial goods in the U.S., because of their multiple uses in the car and can manufacturing industries (Douglas County Solid Waste Department 1-2).

In addition to the economic and environmental significance of converting wastes into recyclable items is a sign of patriotism, as it helps nations to avoid overdependence on imported resources.

Currently, as result of the thirty percent recycling rate of the government, the national government preserves more than five billion gallons of oil annually. This has helped the government to cut down the dependence on oil imports by one hundred and fourteen barrels; hence, securing the independence of United States from dependence on foreign energy resources.

Closely related to this is the ethical significance of recycling. As per the World pollution statistics, United States is one of the major world environmental polluters. Although this might be the case, the continuous importance placed by the U.S. government on any environmental conservation effort more so on the significance of converting wastes into recyclable items has built the reputation of the America as a whole politically, as a nation which values the well being of the living species (Cindy 1).

In conclusion, the benefits associated with converting trash into recyclables are of great significance not only to the U.S. government, but also to other global societies. As a result of these, there is need for all global communities to adopt the practice of recycling materials that are recyclable, it being one of the primary methods of saving the environment from further degradation.

Works Cited

Adams, K. Importance of recycling metals. 2010. Web.

Arms, M. What is recycling? 7 benefits of recycling. 2011. Web.

Cindy, J. History of recycling. 2011. Web.

Douglas County Solid Waste Department. Importance of recycling. 2008. Web.

Solar energy use has grown over the years to become a major source of electricity and energy in the globe. The growth of solar in the United States has also been significant due to some factors including low equipment costs, considerable government support and global warming.

In the recent years the cost of installing solar power equipment has gone down considerably contributing to an unprecedented growth that now stands at a mean of 36% per year (Truini, 2007). The cost of solar equipment such as photovoltaic solar system has been dropping owing to government subsidies offered to businesses which invest in the sector with the US government offering tax credits.

The US governments concerns on global warming and climate change are another added incentive for investment in renewable and clean energy such as solar power. Initiatives such as the feed in tariff has seen the cost of solar power go down as electricity companies are urged to buy renewable energy and sell the same energy at cheap fixed rates (Glaser, 2001).

The growth of solar power in the USA is expected to grow from the current installed capacity of 1.44 GW (Gigawatts) to around 40 GW in the year 2020. This will be able to attract investment of over $ 300 Billion and employ 400,000 people to work in the solar energy sector. Growth of solar will be expected to contribute about 8% of USAs energy by the year 2020; solar energy has seen growth from 785MW in the year 2002 to current capacity of 1.4 GW (Conway, 2002).

Most of the solar growth will be experienced in California where the climate favors the installation of solar powered stations and currently California contributes 53% to the national solar grid. The increase in price for fossils fuels such as oil has contributed to development of innovations in the solar sector to increase in solar uptake and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Global Solar Growth

The solar uptake in the globe has witnessed tremendous growth over the last decade; much of the growth has been attributed to increased energy demand. USA still lags behind other countries in solar energy uptake especially countries based in Europe. European countries such as Germany, Italy has seen growth in purchasing photovoltaic solar systems in the recent years with both contributing to around 50% of installed capacity in 2008 (Glaser, 2001).

Germany is currently the biggest solar producer in the world with installed capacity of around 8GW; it is followed by Japan and Spain. However statistics show that the USA is currently the third largest solar producer. Consequently world solar growth is expected to grow at a level of 40% annually with most of the growth emanating from southern Europe.

Countries such as Spain experienced a growth of 2.8GW into its solar energy grid and countries such as Italy, France and India planning to invest considerable amounts of money in solar growth. India plans to achieve 20GW energy generation from solar power by the year 2022, China has also expressed plans to invest in solar energy due to increased energy demands (Conway, 2002).

By 2020 global solar installation will reach levels of about 120GW with most of the demand coming from southern Europe and Asia. Production of photovoltaic systems and innovation will contribute to increased solar installations. Nevertheless the biggest contributing factor will be policies which will make solar energy more cheap and affordable, but with current policies in the USA it is expected that it will among the top ten solar energy producers by the year 2020.

References

Conway, E. M. (2003). Solar Energy, Technology Policy, and Institutional Values. Environmental History, 8(1), 25-32.

Glaser, P. E. (2001). A Global Perspective on Renewable and Solar Energy. The Journal of Social, Political, and Economic Studies, 19(2), 16-22.

Truini, J. (2007). Misconceptions slow solar growth, Waste News, 13(6), 4.

Introduction

Environment refers to the totality of the surrounding conditions. The conditions of any surroundings directly affect its occupants and this being the case, it is essential for people to aspire to make their environment a safe place to live in. In the past, environment conscious individuals and organizations have played a major role in the conservation of our worthy environment. These efforts however have not been sufficient to combat the global environment crisis.

In any nation with conscience about the environment, all sectors should be involved its conservation or restoration. Among such sectors are the religious sector and more specifically, Christians. In the past, Christians have not put sufficient effort to conserve the environment. As a result, they need to come up with actions that are aimed at conserving the environment.

This essay covers Christians concept and attitude on nature and Christian involvement in environmental crisis; that is, efforts that Christians believe will enable them contribute positively in the conservation of the environment. It will be done in accordance with Toulmin model of argument.

Involvement of Christians in environmental conservation

According to Christians, matters related to the environment emerge from state of tension between behaviour of individuals, which lead to diminishing environmental value, and role of the civil society to preserve the environment. In the past, however, Christians have not been in the forefront in averting environmental degradation.

From the story of creation in Genesis, the essential goodness of God came out when He created everything and made them perfect. Humans are required to emulate this goodness by taking care of His creations. Brandt asserts that since christians understand that after God was through with creation He gave man dominion over all his creation, which includes the environment, it is their duty to take care of this creation including the environment (2002, p. 134).

Since there is a large number of people who believe in and value principles of Christianity, Christians should emphasize part played by communication and propaganda, in convincing people that the environment constitutes not only the surroundings but also its inhabitants. Moreover, it is important that they develop altruistic attitudes towards the same. Having known this, Christians have now fully expressed their interest in solving all the matters related to the environment, which is of invaluable importance to its inhabitants.

Actions to be taken by Christians to conserve the environment

In a bid to contribute positively towards the conservation of the environment, Christians need to primarily, develop self-conviction that conservation of the environment is their personal duty and a privilege from God. As such, they should show personal concern in matters related to care of the environment.

Burnie, in his guide about protecting the planet, argues that the condition of the environment is a function of the collective responsibilities of its inhabitants, aimed at increasing its suitability to habitation (2001, p. 64). Christian should therefore endeavor to make the planet a worthy place to live in. This is only possible if they do or encourage people to be conscious about environmental issues.

Secondly, Christians should change their lifestyle norms and adopt new environment sensitive ones. This may include advocating for environmental organizations, re- using waste, adopting means of transport friendly to the environment and avoidance of deforestation. The third action requires Christians, through written statements or sermons, to emphasize that God loves not only human beings, but also the non-human hence both need equal care.

Elsdon argues that by God creating humans, animals, and all non living things, all are of equal value before him, thus humans who God granted dominion over the other creation bear the responsibility of taking care of Gods creation(1992, p. 121). In other words, people are required to know and appreciate the existence of a relationship between theology and ecology. By doing this they will adopt lifestyles which value the need to care for their surrounding, the environment.

The fourth action that Christians need to take in order to conserve their environment is to issue statements through their churches, sensitizing the world about the environment and mobilizing them to develop conservation measures. Hill asserts that it is worthy to liken the environment to a human body.

The way a well-nurtured body overcomes diseases is the same way a well-maintained environment will overcome degradation (1998, p.146). Christians should therefore, take care of the environment the same way they would do to their bodies.

Christians should not allow the modern culture to soil their beliefs about the connection between God and the environment in which they thrive. They should shun modern cultural practices, which dedicate the ownership of all creation to human power instead of God.

Instead, they should embrace His creation and honour Him with praises for they are able to see how good a worker He is through nature that surrounds them. By doing this, they will be able to maintain the faith they have in God and their beliefs about nature, through which God reveals Himself to them.

Lastly, Christians should incline their actions to responsible public policies, which value the biblical concept of creation. Northcott argues, These public policies can guide people to be conscious about nature in all their actions (1996, p.130). As a result, individuals, and organizations are able to make decisions, which not only helps them achieve their motives, but also recognize the importance of conserving the environment.

Conclusion

The environment, described as the total conditions surrounding an individual, is a vital part of human existence. Many people are negligent of its value and the part it plays in human life. Although there are individuals and organizations that value the environment and make efforts that enhance its sustainability, it is important that people create a global awareness about conservation of the environment.

The Christian community should be at the forefront in sensitizing the society about the importance of environmental conservation to human life; hence, they should come up with actions geared towards conserving the environment.

References

Brandt, D. (2002). Gods Stewards: the Role of Christians in Creation Care World Vision. California: World Vision International. Print.

Burnie, D. (2001). Earth watch: The young persons guide to protecting the planet. United Kingdom: Penguin Books. Print.

Elsdon, R. (1992). Greenhouse Theology: Biblical Perspectives on Caring For Creation. Tunbridge Wells: Monarch. Print.

Hill, R. (1998). Christian Faith and the Environment: Making Vital Connections. New York: Orbis. Print.

Northcott, S. (1996). The Environment and Christian Ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Print.

The write up is on the African community. In Africa, most of the natural resources such as water, forests, soils and many more are on the rapid rate of extinction due to mans exploitative nature without putting up the right conservation measures. Man exploits these resources in order to get their daily needs. The high population rates and the level of poverty contribute a lot to this kind of behavior.

In this paper, energy, water and forests have been identified as the three main areas that can be improved. There has been a cry in Africa over the shortages on these vital resources whereby the members are forced to acquire them expensively, because of this, measures to ensure their conservation is necessary.

For each of the above mentioned resource, actions can be taken to cut down on their misuse. For water, it is necessary to have the water act that sets regulations and ensures that they are followed to the letter. In the case of energy, it is necessary to look for alternative renewable source of energy that is least costly and is environmental sensitive. In the issue of forests, laws should be enacted to ensure that those who go against them are answerable and pay heavily for their actions.

According to a research done by Mwingi Godfrey on the conservation of water in South Africa, the following is important to ensure a sustainable use; Pressure management, this will control the chances of pipe bursts thus reducing the amount of losses through leakages, and in connection to this is the repairing of the faulty pipes and tapes to reduce the leakages. It is also vital to put up water meters for drafting payment schedules, this reduce the amount of water used for both domestic and commercial purposes.

Water used for washing dishes and in flushing toilets is also a lot; therefore, re-use should be considered as some water can be used twice, this is called grey water. Dual flush system should be adopted because of its minimal water usage. In case of irrigation, conservative measures should be applied such as mulching and watering at the right time to avoid wastage (Water conservation para. 4).

On energy, it is important to consider all the types of renewable energy sources such as wind, tides and waves, solar and biogas energy. If these entire sources are harnessed then the cost on electricity can be greatly reduced.

Solar and biogas are the most efficient sources of energy that can be embraced to ensure a cost effective use. Practices such as putting off lights and all electrical appliances when not in use should be implemented. Use of energy saving bulbs should not be ignored (Fourteenth session of the United Nations commission on sustainable development para. 5).

In considering forest resources in Africa, it is important to ensure that growing more trees is encouraged by emphasizing on the plant two as you cut down one should be encouraged, looking for alternative sources of energy and construction materials to reduce on logging done daily. Education campaigns on the importance of forests should be carried out.

Conservation of these resources is a long time process which requires a timeframe of not less than five years. For water conservation, all the above mentioned ideas can be implemented in twenty years time, this due to ignorance with the people in Africa and lack of required skills to implement the strategies.

For energy, a period of more than twenty years can be possible considering the lack in technical knowhow, awareness and lack of money to adopt the renewable sources. This case applies to forests because carrying out awareness and huge amount of money is required to carry out a forestation process.

In the process of implementing the earlier mentioned ideas in order to conserve the above resources, many challenges are experienced. These include lack of money for proper funding, ignorance by the people on the importance of the resources and how to conserve them, poverty level and high population growth is also a threat as people have no alternative to get their daily needs apart from exploiting them and others.

In order to counter the challenges mentioned, it is important to seek funds from the developed countries, carry out campaigns to educate the people on the importance of the resources and hoe to use them sustainably and providing an alternative for each of the mentioned resource to ensure its sustainability.

Works Cited

Fourteenth session of the United Nations commission on sustainable development, Department of environmental and tourism affairs, SEP 2005. Web.

Water conservation. SAAF Environmental services. 2009. Web.