global challenge: environmental sustainability
What is environmental sustainability?Environmental sustainability, like all the other goals, is a wide-ranging set of issues. What is important to consider, however, is the long-term effects of our decisions about the use of natural resources including water, land, oil, coal, etc. If an environmental plan is not "sustainable," it means that it cannot be long-lasting or effective over a period of time. It will also have some really adverse effects in the short-term on the world’s poorest communities. Often, decisions about the use of natural resources are convenient or profitable in the short-term, but really make life difficult for the poorest in the world. How are decisions about use of resources affecting the world’s poorest communities?There are far too many examples to list here, so we are going to use one example as a "case study," or a true story of something that is happening to demonstrate how this issue can play out. In Ghana, a West African country, there is an enormous reservoir, Lake Volta, which cuts through much of the middle of the country. Despite this seemingly easy access to water, about 70% of the Ghanaian people lack reliable access to clean water. How can this happen? The Ghanaian government was promised a lot of money by wealthy governments and other institutions for the rights to sell clean water from Lake Volta. These institutions claimed that much more money would be made later on as water from Ghana was transported and sold in other countries as well. In addition, the people of Ghana would have to pay around 30 cents per day for the water they needed. While this doesn’t seem like a lot of money, consider the fact that many people in Ghana live on no more than $1 per day. The economic benefits from sale of the water may seem attractive, but what does that mean for the people living in areas that cannot afford it? How will they farm, bathe, treat illness, cook, access sanitation systems, take care of their animals, stay healthy? Fortunately, a large group of average citizens (many of whom are poor) have stopped this "water privatization" plan from moving forward. For the past two years, both sides have been trying to negotiate what happens next.
Where can I learn more?Check out this article from Public Citizen and visit these organizations:What can we do about environmental sustainability?If you're a high school student interested in starting a Global Action Club at your school addressing environmental sustainability contact us. |
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