The Need to Manage Our Resources
Everything that we use or consume - food, clothes, vehicles, tools, petrol, furniture, medicines, books, toys, and the infrastructure of electricity, roads bridges, and buildings are obtained from resources on this earth. The only thing one gets from outside is the sun's energy and even this is converted by the biotic components of the environment and by physical and chemical based processes on the earth before one makes use of it.
The recent concerns about the environment and natural resources have arisen because of the increasing awareness of the finite nature. What appeared as to be plentiful earlier, clean water and air, fuel energy, land for food, forests and trees are becoming increasingly scarce. If one depletes them too fast, without the possibility of their regeneration, one will be creating untold misery for oneself and for the future generations.
Why have both governments and citizens not managed the environmental resources properly over the last 50 -100 years? One has not anticipated some of the impacts of industrial and technological advancement. When the industrial revolution started some 250 years ago, the world population was at 600 million - that seems like a lot of people but now the world population is now almost ten times at 6 billion and will grow to 8 billion by 2025! Better health and increased age limits have resulted in a net gain of over 200,000 people every day. Side by side, the global economy increased more than six fold between 1960 and 2000. One has experienced the fastest pace of development and modern lifestyle requirements ever achieved by humans.
How much resource are our modern cities demanding? To meet this demand worldwide, food production increased by roughly two-and-a-half times, water use doubled, wood harvests for pulp and paper production tripled, installed hydropower capacity doubled, and timber production increased by more than a half. For example, more land was converted to cropland in the thirty years since 1950 than had been converted in the whole of the period 1700 to 1850 (The Biodiversity Synthesis Report in the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment project). Forty percent of the earth's land surface is now used to grow crops and graze animals.
While we exploit these natural resources the amount of damages caused to the environment is staggering. Major rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna, the life line for the northern Gangetic plain food belt have become gravely polluted. The reason lies in industrial pollution and urban municipal waste. Agricultural runoff from over use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides add to soil contamination. The pressure to have more food crops, commercial crops and animal husbandry with the help of modern agricultural practices has led to the stripping of large areas of forests and using great amounts of water and energy. As a result large scale soil erosion and local climate change have occurred. Air pollution due to automobile exhausts and industrial emission levels has caused green house gases to rise and cause global warming. All these have combined to deplete and endanger some of our most valuable natural resources.
Clearly, a good case exists to manage our natural resources, conserve the environment and have proper waste disposal in a more scientific and sustainable manner, with a long-term perspective rather than for short term gains. Governments should also ensure that all the people affected by development of these resources get an equitable benefit not just a few privileged rich benefit from these developments.
| Remember |
| While conservation and utilization of natural resources in a sustainable manner are what responsible citizens and the governments should aim to achieve, it might be useful to assess how we as students and youth can immediately contribute to helping out at our own level. To ensure sustainable use of resources in our environment utilize the principle of 'The Three R's.' - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Some of these illustrations may help you manage natural resources better. |
Use less and do not waste. Resources saved are resources earned for your community. Do not waste water - switch of running and leaky taps, bathe with a bucket don't shower; Don't waste energy - turn out the lights and fans when you are not in a room, take public transport or walk short distances instead of using expensive motor fuel. Don't waste food. Give unused food to less fortunates or animals.
Use things again and again. Don't throw away materials such as glass containers, plastic bags, paper, cloth etc. Reuse them at domestic levels rather than being thrown. It reduces solid waste pollution.
Materials such as paper, some kinds of plastics and glass can are being recycled. Collect plastic, paper, glass and metal items and give them to people who recycle these materials. This decreases the volume of refuse and helps in the conservation of natural resources. A recovery of one tonne of paper can save 17 trees. One can add a fourth 'R'
Plant a tree during the rains. Look after it for a couple of years. Make your environment more cool, shady and green. Let the birds, squirrels, butterflies and animals dependant on trees return to their habitat; simultaneously, help control soil erosion.
