CHALLENGE
S
&
OPPORTUNIT
Environmentally sustainable society
Environmentally Sustainable Societies Protect Natural Capital and Live Off Its
Income. An environmentally sustainable community is one that meets the current
and future basic resource needs of its people in a just and equitable manner
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their basic needs.
Here are 5 simple ways you can help the environment
and spark others to become more environmentally
aware.
• Replace disposable items with reusable
• Pass on paper (reusing and repurposing)
• Conserve water & electricity
• Support local & environmentally friendly
• Recycle (& then recycle properly)
1. Replace disposable items with reusable
Anything you use and throw away can potentially spend centuries in a
landfill. See below for simple adjustments you can make to decrease
the amount of disposable items in your daily life.
• Carry your own reusable cup or water bottle
• Use airtight, reusable food containers instead of sandwich bags
and plastic wrap
• Pack a waste-free lunch: carry your utensils, cloth napkin, and
containers in a reusable lunch bag
• Bring your own bags to the grocery store
• Consider buying bulk containers of your preferred beverages and
refilling a reusable bottle, instead of buying individually packaged
drinks
• Use rechargeable batteries
2. Pass on paper
We are living in the Digital Era, but think about all the paper products you
use in your daily life. These actions still align with reusing and repurposing,
though may take a little more time for transition.
• Join a library instead of buying books or buy a Kindle
• Print as little as possible; and if you must, print on both sides
• Wrap gifts in fabric and tie with ribbon; both are reusable and prettier
than paper and sticky-tape
• Stop using paper towels and incorporate washable cloths
• Look at labels to make sure you only use FSC-certified wood and paper
products
• Cut out products made by palm oil companies that contribute to
deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia
3. Conserve water & electricity
The tips you see below will seem like no-brainers; however, it may take to
become more aware of your unconscious habits.
•Turn the sink water off when brushing your teeth
•Water the lawn in the morning or evening; cooler air causes less evaporation
•Switch off anything that uses electricity when not in use (lights, televisions,
computers, printers, etc.)
•Unplug devices when possible; even when an appliance is turned off, it may
still use power
•Remove chemicals inside of the house; research companies that use plant-
derived ingredients for their household cleaning products
•Remove chemicals outside of the house; use eco-friendly pesticides and
herbicides that won’t contaminate groundwater
•Consider signing up for a renewable energy producer that uses 100%
renewable energy to power homes
4. Support local & environmentally friendly
Here are a few reasons to start buying local:
•Reduces plastic and paper waste
•Boosts cost-efficiency
•Enables bulk purchasing
•Helps support your neighbors
•Retains farmland within the community
•Builds up the local economy
•Uses fewer chemicals for both for growing and
transporting
5. Recycle (& then recycle properly)
Implementing recycling habits into your daily life is one of the most effective
ways to help lessen landfill waste, conserve natural resources, save habitats,
reduce pollution, cut down on energy consumption, and slow down global
warming.
•Confirm you are using the proper separation containers for your household
per the local recycling services
•Remember to make sure your trash bags are recycled or biodegradable, and
always cut up the plastic rings from packs of beer or soda to prevent wildlife
from getting caught
•Educate yourself about what can and cannot be recycled, as not all plastic
and cardboard is acceptable (like pizza boxes for example, due to the grease)
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITY
The concept of ecosystem services was originally developed to illustrate
the benefits that natural ecosystems generate for society and to raise
awareness for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.
The first challenge arises from the fact that the ecosystem service
concept has not been generated in the context of managed systems.
Ecologists need to identify the effect of anthropogenic interventions in
order to propose practices to benefit service-providing organisms and
associated services.
The second challenge arises from the need to evaluate relationships
between indicators of ecosystem services that are collected in ecological
studies while accounting for uncertainties of ecological processes that
underlie these services.
The third challenge arises from the limited understanding
of the nature of relationships between services and a lack
of a general statistical framework to address these links. To
manage ecosystem service provisioning, ecologists need to
establish whether services respond to a shared driver or if
services are directly linked to each other. Finally, studies
relating biodiversity to ecosystem services often focus on
services at small spatial or short temporal scales, but
research on the protection of services is often directed
toward services providing benefits at large spatial scales.
Quiz time:
1-2. What is Environmentally Sustainable Societies?
3-5. Give at least 3 simple ways you can help the environment.
6-7. What are The concept of ecosystem services was originally
developed ?
[Link] are the challenges of ecosystem? Give at least two.
