Читать книгу Practical Sustainability Strategies - George P. Nassos - Страница 41

Basic human needs must be met with the most resource-efficient methods possible. Unless basic human needs are met worldwide through fair and efficient use of resources, it will be difficult to meet conditions 1, 2, and 3 on a global scale. As the human population continues to grow, it becomes more and more critical for the efficient use of the natural resources.

In 2019, the human population reached 7.7 billion and this will require even more consumption of the earth's natural recourses. This increase in population will lead to an increase in energy consumption, and with a finite quantity of available fossil fuels more efficient use of coal, oil, and natural gas will be necessary. More efficient use also means an increase in renewable energy development and consumption. More efficient use of these energy resources will satisfy System Condition 4. At the same time, by adopting as much renewable energy as possible, less carbon dioxide will be emitted into the ecosphere and this will satisfy System Condition 1.

The use of plastic beverage containers is continuing to increase as the population grows and as more people drink bottled water. Unfortunately, in 2016 over 480 billion beverage [6] containers were sold and about 79% accumulated in landfills [7]. It is critical that more efficient use of plastic beverage containers is adopted in order to use less of the natural resources in their manufacturing and satisfy System Condition 4. In addition, there will be less plastic containers in the ecosphere and thus satisfy System Condition 2.

As the population continues to grow, another negative impact is the continued increase in fish consumption. Fishing is central to the livelihood and food security of 200 million people, especially in the developing world, while one of five people on this planet depends on fish as the primary source of protein. According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization [8] in 2015, two-thirds of the world's fish species are either fully exploited or depleted. The dramatic increase of destructive fishing techniques worldwide destroys marine mammals and entire ecosystems. More efficient harvesting of the fish population is critical in order to meet the needs of future generations and thus satisfy System Condition 4. By decreasing the fish population, the ability to increase the population will also diminish thus violating System Condition 3. This is another example of showing that meeting System Condition 4 is critical to meeting the other three conditions.