Dear Environmentality Listeners,
Following on from last week
Smokey and Sarah are discussing top ten environmental successes based from
a list has compiled by Joe
Laur from Greenopolis.
This week
we will start from Number 1….
1.
Cleaner
Water
As they
say, water is the essence of life.
Without water, especially clean water, all life on earth cannot
exist. The necessity of having clean
water and waterways has been the element of change for working towards a
cleaner and greener earth, it has been one of the largest worldwide challenges
to overcome and it also links in with social justice and human rights
issues. Policies implemented in many
countries across the globe have helped with the clean up of our water sources and
waterways enabling us to have access to clean water and ultimately befitting
our environment. Technologies such as
being able to treat wastewater have helped to assist the world to become a
cleaner and greener place.
2.
Pollution
Prevention
Pollution
prevention is a way to describe actions that decrease the amount of pollution
produced by a process; this could be consumer consumption, industrial
production or even driving a car. Over
recent years pollution prevention strategies we have seen are lead removed from
petrol, household recycling bins, green chemistry, renewable energy generation
and cradle to cradle design to name a few.
This has allowed high numbers of pollutants taken away and have saved
not only lives but our environment as well.
3.
Cleaner
Air
I am sure
most of us remember growing up the issue of the hole in the ozone layer, and
the monumental international agreement of the Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Without
international co-operation the ozone layer would not have had a chance to
recover (it is expected to recover by 2050).
The protocol has been reviewed several times to ensure that our air is
cleaner and we have fewer pollutants entering our lungs or the atmosphere.
4.
Renewable
Energy
We all know
what renewable energy is now days, right?...We now drive along our streets to
see solar panels on houses and see the ‘green energy’ options on our power
bills. Renewable energy can come from
many natural resources including sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and
geothermal. Increased climate change
concerns and high prices of oil, coal and energy production have lad to
governments and communities taking action increasing and supporting the push
for renewable energy supply and consumption.
5.
Removing
Toxins
The removal
of toxins in items we use everyday such as in insect spray and fertilizers have
not only saved lives it has also saved the environment and animal species. Toxins are still found in items we use
everyday like BPA in plastics and there has been a large community push to
remove these toxins so we can lead healthier lives. Toxins are also released into the environment
as items such as plastics break down, it is said that the mix of plastics and
seawater release toxins into sea creatures and ultimately affecting the food
web.
6.
International
Co-operation
As
mentioned above international co-operation is necessary for us to be able to
combat issues such as climate change.
The world is all connected and does not recognize borders; pollutants don’t
check in with customs! In recent years
international organisations such as the United Nations have been working
towards international treaties to combat climate change. Some say that the conventions have not meant
anything or lead to substantial change.
International dialogue increases governments to cooperate and work
together to take action towards combating climate change and environmental
issues.
7.
The
Rise of Grassroots
Grassroots
organisations and movements are often formed at a local level to address
concerns of an issue affecting the community.
A lot of the issues grassroots organisations and movements are working towards
get higher exposure than before with the help of technologies such as the
internet, this results in a higher number of movement moving from a local
concern to a global issue. This means
that a concern facing a small community on the other side of the world can now
have a larger backing and audience from the other side of the world. This phenomena has assisted greater partnerships
between grassroots organisations and non-government organisations, governments
to international organisations such as the UN.
We are becoming a global community.
8.
Putting
Pollution on the Balance Sheet
By placing
pollution on the balance sheet this has allowed business to reduce the levels
of pollutants, what business wants to look like they are polluters? This incentive trades pollutants and places a
price on them it can cost $1600 per ton to emit Sulfur Dioxide, that’s a lot of
money going up in the air.
9.
Reporting
and Transparency
Joe Laur
from Greenopolis highlights Back in the ‘80s, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan said
that if we required industries to report their release of toxins publically,
the problem would begin to correct itself.
U.S. industries have reduced TRI emissions on the Toxics Release
inventory (TRI) by 50–75% since 1988. No CEO wants to be Number 1 on a toxic
release list. The Global Reporting
Initiative (GRI) are working towards making environmental and social reporting
as common as financial reporting.
Last but
defiantly not least…
10.
You
Woke up and Gave a Damn!
This is
where we as environmentality listeners come into play; you and your fellow
community members are responsible for social change, without you the drive for
a more sustainable future would be lost.
For generations we have been working towards a cleaner and greener
future and keep up the good work!
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