Warner Pacific College
August 4, 2014
Abstract
Abstract
In
this essay, I will report on my findings ways that society can assess natural
resources and establish regulations that encourage better resource management.
Keywords: Environment, Sustainability, Natural Resources.
After
reading from our assigned text and online resources, the first necessary action
that comes to mind to me personally is that education about natural resources
and their limited nature, is crucial to members of society if we want to better
understand and manage our precious resources. According to acca21.org, “Natural
resources are an important material basis for a stable national economy and social
development. They can be divided into two categories: the exhaustible, such as
minerals, and the inexhaustible, such as forests and grasslands.” Understanding
a resource and its importance and sensitivities is so important before
assessing it’s uses.
It
is easy to look at our resources from a business perspective and see trees and
animals as only the monetary value after harvesting such resources, but many
scientists remind us just how important of a role each resource plays in our
day to day sustainability as a part of nature. Acca21.org uses China as an
example of a country with a booming economy that needs to asses its natural
resource use before it is too late. China’s natural resources cannot sustain
the country if no regulations are put in place before the long lasting damage
gets worse. The website says that “the strategy of choice is to attain economic
development at a rate above the world's average while sustaining a continuous
increase in growth at relatively low resource and social costs. This is a
strategic alternative for sustainable development with Chinese
characteristics.” I think that this strategy is beneficial not only to China,
but also to all humans on a personal level. Maintain a growing economy while
assessing your own impact on the environment around you with every decision you
have to make.
Epa.gov
discusses and informs the public about the “Energy independence and security
act of 2007”. This policy was put in place by the Bush administration in 2007
and assessed current problems with natural resources used for energy. The
country wanted to become more independent when it came to energy, while at the
same time paying close attention to the outcome of harvesting our own
resources. The website says that “The three key provisions enacted are the
Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards, the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the
appliance/lighting efficiency standards.” I think that this piece of
legislation was necessary and very beneficial to our country. It would be
ignorant to say that we could harvest our resources with no impact, and also
detrimental to our society to not be able to compete on an economic level with
other countries. It gives me hope that Governments are addressing the
environment directly, but I do see that this is in response to the citizens
opinions and concerns on a local level.
An
approach that has been taken locally, is Oregon State University’s “The Oregon
Natural Resources Education Program”. According to OSU’s website “(ONREP) has
been a leader in providing professional development programs for K - 16
educators since its inception in the mid-1980s. ONREP programming has
contributed to building thousands of educators’ understanding of Oregon’s
diverse natural resources and ecosystems by providing strategies, information,
and resources that instill confidence and increase capacity to engage learners
at all levels.” I believe that it is programs like this that will make this
biggest difference in our society regarding natural resources and policies.
Education on these issues and opportunities to take part personally in making a
difference, are necessary for making a long term difference. It is discouraging
to think about the detrimental affect we are having on our ecosystem, but
seeing the immense response taken by so many people to approach these problems
with a diverse amount of solutions just a short time after the discovery of
global waring, is very hopeful for me. I think that everyone wants to make this
world a better place in some way. What better way to love your neighbor than to
think about their well-being and health as well as your own. We are all
connected and we need to use the intellectual abilities that we have been given
to contribute to a health sustainable living space for us, our future
generations, and the world of living creatures that depend on us.
http://www.acca21.org.cn/chnwp14a.html
http://www.acca21.org.cn/chnwp14a.html
http://onrep.forestry.oregonstate.edu
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