Module 1
The scientific principles of sustainability can be related to Brook Experimental Forest Controlled Experiment. The results of the experiment can be related to the nature by which the human beings have intended harmful environmental consequences to the environmental quality. One of the principles of sustainability focuses on environmental quality by avoiding activities related to degradation and contamination of air, water, and other natural systems. This involves supporting activities that allow continuous environmental renewal and refreshment. The principle of sustainability is also associated with economic vitality since a viable economy is essential to environmental sustainability. Economic vitality would ensure that the community benefits by the creation of job opportunities, tax base, and to sustain a suitable business environment (Miller & Spoolman, 2012). The sustainable economy is diversified such that it is less disrupted by the external and internal occurrences from time to time. The other principle of environmental sustainability is to ensure that quality of life is maintained in all aspects related to income generation, housing, healthcare, employment and legal rights. In this regard, the environment should be assured of safe atmosphere and safe environment that makes it an attractive place to live in.
The activities of human beings have greatly interfered with the watershed through constant cutting of trees over the years. The cutting of the watershed areas has a direct impact on the stream flow downstream. In addition, the activities of human beings contribute to the formation of the acid rain that in turn hams the environment. The acid rain that results from the human activities is known to cause corrosion in building and negative influence to the soil.
Module 8
The government can decide to pass laws that require the manufactures to take back and recycle all their packaging waste, appliances, motor vehicles, in addition to electronic equipment to support environmental sustainability. I would greatly support such law since the waste material that come from packaging and electronic materials pose a great challenge to environmental sustainability. The benefit of such law is that it would enforce the extended producer responsibility that would support the environmental sustainability measures. In this regard, the producers of packaging materials and manufactures would be responsible for the entire life of their products by taking them back and recycling them appropriately (Sasanpour & Mehrejani, 2011). Such a strategy is based upon the principle that producers and the manufactures of the goods that destroy the environment have the greatest control over their products and consequently, the ability to help reduce environmental damage from their products. Under this arrangement, the producers have the right to delegate their responsibility to the third party organizations paid by them to help them recycle their products. Such a law would shift the responsibility from the government to the producers such that the government would only be there to enforce such laws. Moreover, such law would ensure the recovery and the recycling of packaging waste in the most economically and ecologically sensitive manner in achieving environmental sustainability. Enactment of such laws would ensure that the growing problem of excessive waste is incorporated into the waste management policies in making the manufactures more responsible for their actions (De Francesco & Levy, 2008). In some cases, such a law would encourage and promote innovation and recycling technology and this would create more opportunities in the sustainability and environmental quality.
De Francesco, A.,J., & Levy, D. (2008). The impact of sustainability on the investment environment. Journal of European Real Estate Research, 1(1), 72-87.
Miller, T & Spoolman, S. (2012). Environmental Science. Brooks Cole; 14 edition
Sasanpour, F., & Mehrejani, M. S. (2011). Evaluation on the sustainability of metropolitan environment for good urban management by ecological footprint model. Journal of Sustainable Development, 4(3), 243-248.
