Introduction
Clean Environment for Sustainability was an experiential activity that was taken by the all the stakeholders to keep the residential areas clean. This activity aimed at protecting the existing resources within the proximity of the residential area. This was from the realization that a clean environment is essential for a healthy community (Robbins 60).
Discussion
Clean air and water are rare commodities in the current days due to increased rates of pollution. This activity sought to apply all the innovations that find relevance in real-world setting. The activity was participatory and involved all the stakeholders such as the local authority, businesses and academia. The main mission from the activity is to improve the quality of life by enhancing environment consciousness (Robbins 77-86). The neighbourhood has recently been littered with plastic wastes and organic waste especially from the groceries and market area. The waste has become an eyesore while predisposing the population to various forms of diseases. Hotels and restaurants have been contaminating the water resources through effluent discharge to the rivers.
The same applies to industry and factories, which are located near freshwater lake and rivers. The urban setting has distinct, social, physical and economic features, which will all reap from environmentally sound practices. This activity engaged the community in the conservation and protection of the environment. With climate change becoming a challenge in the sustainability, it may seem insurmountable; however, taking appropriate initiatives will help in protection of the environment (Robbins 45-50). Consensus arrived by many governments seek to address this challenge by starting small and expanding to other areas. Cleaning the surrounding in the areas we reside will help in tackling the whole issue of the climate challenge. Diseases arising from environmentally related issues cost the government a lot of money. This can be avoided through sustainability in environmental management.
This was accomplished by segregating dustbins. Green dustbins were to collect organically related waste while the yellow ones were to collect plastic waste. Tags were placed in each bin to show what is supposed to be deposited. The idea was also taken to enterprises such as hotels and restaurant. Although much of waste in these areas can be considered organic, there is a possibility of plastic waste especially from the take away drinks. This initiative was meant to provide easy time in sorting out of the waste for recycling the plastic waste. In convectional waste disposal system, the plastic waste mixes with organic waste and it requires a huge deal of time and resources to separate the two. In the same context, water and energy resources are utilized in large quantities, which exert pressure on the existing limited resources (Robbins 45-50).
This activity finds huge relevance to the teachings of the course. This is because taking part in the activity is a form of social responsibility. This is a perfect example of exercising the knowledge on environmental management system in the real life situation. The activity realizes the importance of environmental conservation as the core towards the betterment of life. Environmental issues revolve around every aspect of our lives, and it is essential for every member of the society to exercise consciousness in environment protection. This will help in attaining sustainability, in the lives of the residents and future generation. In ethical practice, the process of protecting environment realizes the needs of other people (Robbins 111). Sustainability is achieved through participatory role in protection and conservation of the environment. Participating in this activity gave me a sense of social responsibility, which felt like giving back to the society.
Conclusion
The above mentioned activity gave me a chance to learn about the need of environmental conservation. It was an appropriate chance to apply the theories taught in class in real practices. This activity opened my eyes on the need for keeping the environment clean. If the policies and tasks are strictly followed, the environment will be habitable and maintain an aesthetic value. This activity is a challenge that will require me to participate in initiatives like these, in the future. This is because; it is for the common good of the society in which we are still part. Clean Environment for Sustainability will help in the protection of the environment while at the same time reaping from this initiative in terms of clean air and water.
Works Cited
Robbins, Paul. Encyclopedia of Environment and Society. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2007. Print.
