Ingredients of Environmental Sustainability

Global interest in environmental sustainability is on the rise. Businesses and individuals are making efforts to engage in more environmentally conscious practices, thanks in part to a growing worldwide population and dwindling natural resources. Ultimately, sustainability is the practice of finding long-lasting methods of maintaining our existing quality of life while still preserving the environment and natural resources.

Proponents must consider all aspects of environmental sustainability for it be successful. Additionally, eco-conscious thought must be applied to multiple professions to achieve deep-rooted results. Here are three ingredients to ensure the continued success of environmental sustainability.

Economic Incentives

Everyone knows change can be difficult. Making the shift toward more eco-friendly practices is no different. One way to initiate this change is through financial incentives. Money is an essential factor for families and companies. If sustainable options and practices are too expensive the majority of the population can’t afford to implement them, the environmentally-conscious movement will come grinding to a halt.

Environmentally-friendly technology often carries higher upfront costs but pays off through long-term benefits, both to the environment and to individuals. Additionally, companies that invest in environmentally conscious technology can potentially market to a broader range of consumers with similar interests and values.

When considering options to follow more sustainable practices, consumers need to set specific goals they would like to achieve and define their plan of action. This will also help maintain perspective and keep the focus on the long-term incentives, which will keep everyone motivated to continue down the road to sustainability.

Environmental Protection

Another key factor in environmental sustainability is protecting and preserving the environment. Part of this practice includes sustainable use and management procedures. While specific materials may be renewable over time, overuse can deplete these resources and lead to shortages. Industry professionals must give careful consideration to planning how, when and in what quantity resources will be used.

Surprisingly, several sustainable methods exist to renew depleted environmental resources in a fast and environmentally conscious manner. Agricultural practices often strip fields of necessary minerals and nutrients while leaving behind harmful inorganic residuals from fertilizers.

Naturally occurring microorganisms will eventually restore the soil’s nutrients and neutralize noxious compounds, though this process takes a long time. Bioremediation can expedite this process. Industry professionals can introduce higher numbers of the naturally occurring microbes and then create their optimal living conditions by varying the amount of water and food they have available.

Once the harmful pollutants are neutralized, farmers can resume planting operations. In addition to bioremediation, sustainable agricultural practices include rotating crops and using cover crops. Rotating crops and using cover crops can help reduce the occurrence of weeds and the impact of pests. In turn, farmers can use less fertilizer and maintain soil health for more extended periods.

Fostering interest in sustainability at a young age will encourage future leaders

Education

Without proper education, the general public won’t understand the importance of sustainability. This may lead to a decreased demand for sustainable products and procedures, which will foster growth in non-sustainable markets and practices. Future generations will then be left with the task of preserving and repairing the environment.

Fostering interest in sustainability at a young age will encourage future leaders to create innovative solutions to meet the current demands of society through unconventional and eco-conscious lifestyle. The future youth will also need the proper educational background to develop the tools they need to cultivate these solutions.

Environmental education also helps adults understand the impact their choices have on themselves and society. Uneducated adults may not recognize their choices to pollute or use toxic chemicals are degrading the local water supply for their neighbors or are harmful to their health. Once they understand the full weight of their decisions, they will be able to make the most informed choices.

With proper management and forethought, environmental sustainability can be fully achievable in our society today.

Green Financing as a Tool for Sustainable Development

Climate change and environmental damage due to human activity is now an accepted fact. Thankfully, investors and financial organizations are finally recognizing the importance of changing our ways and investing in sustainable technologies. This type of green financing is allowing them to recognize the environmental and financial benefits of these new technologies.

Green SMEs

Today we’ll cover how green financing can be used to encourage sustainable development on the company and individual scale.

What is Green Financing?

Green financing at its most basic is the use of public money, personal loans, and micro-lending to support sustainability. The goal of green financing is to encourage change in favor of environmentally friendly actions.

It can be everything from large scale investment into tools to fight climate change all the way down to small personal online loans next day for consumers. This allows everyone to do their part to help promote sustainability.

Most green loans are tied to specific metrics. They can cover everything from large companies to the type of washing machine you purchase.

How Green Financing Works

Like any financial product there’s a huge range of green financing options. One of the most prominent examples is sustainability-focused venture capital firms.

These VC firms search for early-stage startups with a focus on the environment. They combine their financial goals together with their vision of what the planet should be.

By far the largest subset of their focus is on reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and fighting emissions. On the individual scale there’s lots of focus on lowering your carbon footprint.

Lots of loans are specifically put in place for people to buy green friendly products.

What Qualifies as Sustainable Projects

There are tons of early to middle stage startups with a sustainability focus. These are all key examples of large scale green financing.

Many of the projects are receiving the most funding focus on clean power and the use of renewables. Think electric vehicles, charging stations, battery enhancements, solar and wind energy, etc.

Another major sector is advancements in water purification, desalination, and ocean cleanup. These also include interesting projects like advanced agriculture and reducing the overall reliance on irrigation.

For individuals most green financing is related to their home or vehicle. There are lots of online loans same day available for things like energy efficient appliances or vehicles. These often combine with tax credits as a way to encourage people to reduce their overall energy consumption habits.

One of the biggest uses of green financing by individuals is to buy an electric or hybrid car. This reduces the often high price of these advanced vehicles and makes it more attractive to drive one.

Another big one is to finance green renovations to your home. If you want to improve your home’s insulation or add on a solar power system there’s ample funding available. These often combine with tax breaks and utility buyback programs to make it an even more attractive option.

Turnaround Time for Financing Decisions

With venture capital the around time for high-quality opportunities is often very rapid. If you have a great model for your business and can show a clear return potential they’ll often respond within just a few days.

For green financing other factors come into play. Most green venture capital funds have very specific requirements on what they’re looking for. Do your research before contacting them and make sure you represent what they’re looking for.

How much you should reasonably expect to receive depends on how far along in the process you are. Seed stage companies generally receive less than $1 million. Series A and Series B can receive more but still much less than more mature companies with proven revenue and a customer base.

For personal green loans the turnaround is often much faster. Many companies offer instant or at least same day approval for well qualified borrowers. This gives you the freedom to begin making your plans immediately after receiving funds.

Make Changes Today

The clock is running down on our ability to head off the effects of climate change. Green financing is one of the best ways to make changes in the world and your life. It funds the technology that may save humanity and allows individuals to make changes to their home and car to reduce their own carbon footprint.

Recommended Reading: The Rising Appeal of ESG Investments

Green Steel Production – Opportunities and Challenges

The steel manufacturing industry is one of the highest carbon emission sources globally, leading to the highest CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The process from converting iron ore to graded steel includes a blast furnace, followed by a basic oxygen furnace and an electric arc furnace. The highest emissions are generated during coke production, blast furnace, i.e., Energy demand and GHG emissions in the Iron and Steel sector principally result from the large consumption of coal/coke used in conjunction with the blast furnace.

What is Green Steel

Green steel refers to the process of steel manufacturing with reduced GHG emissions into the atmosphere as well as potentially reducing cost and improving steel quality, as compared to conventional steel production. A study indicates that steel demand will keep on rising until the end of the 21st century, so there is a huge motivation to look for an alternative method of steel production that emits low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere.

what is green steel

Scrap steel recycling is a positive step toward alleviating emissions. However, based on the available scrap, this route can contribute 44% of the total steel production by the end of 2050, which is not sufficient to meet the growing demands.

Also, the issue with recycled steel is that they are contaminated with copper and tin, which causes surface cracking during the hot rolling process. An integrated steel recycling process with innovative routes can bring down the global warming to a manageable threat.

Blast furnace (BF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) contribute to 70% of total GHG emissions into the environment. The process reduces iron into ores, sinter and pellets using carbon-based lowering agents. Fluxes (or steel scrap) are added to the blast furnace to maintain the slag temperature and separate the impurities. The hot metal produced contains sulphur, phosphorous, manganese and silicon. The impurities are heated/reduced in BOF to produce high-quality steel with carbon below 2%. High Calcium and dolomite lime are utilized in multiple stages of this procedure and result in various improvements and advantages.

According to research, hydrogen-based and electricity-based steel production have minimal emissions into the atmosphere. However, this technology is still under investigation, some small-scale development has been done in the past, but large scale development is still under development phase.

Pathways for Green Steel Production – Opportunities and Challenges

Various alternative ways exist to produce low-grade carbon products such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), renewable hydrogen and high utilisation of biomass resources. The use of artificial iron units (AIUs) in iron steel production can reduce significant carbon emissions and high-grade steel production.

To minimize emissions, scrap use must be incorporated into the manufacturing process. The use of bioenergy resources in steel production can be a good option, but that goes through a long list of concerns, such as biomass availability, the capital cost of replacement of existing technology.

An Integrated Iron and Steel Mill (ISM) consists of many complex series of interconnected plants, where emissions come out from many sources (10 or more). Huge amount of CO2 is produced by the reduction reaction reactions occurring in the blast furnace and the combustion reaction in sintering, blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace.

green steel

Biomass can be used for steel production in place of coal, but this is discouraged by most industries, mainly because of huge biomass requirement, transportation, and storage requirement. Another alternative is the use of natural gas, which at present accounts for 20% of overall steel production in the world. Natural gas produces GHG emissions, which is feasible for small scale goals. If the end target is to achieve significant scale goals, then natural gas use integrated with carbon capture technology is beneficial.

The absorption process is another method used to separate CO2 from gas streams using chemical solvents. However, this process is very expensive because of the high thermal energy required to break the strong bond between solvents and CO2.

Adsorption is also a process to reduce CO2 where a gas stream is passed through the solid adsorbent (such as zeolites, activated carbon). The bed loaded with reduced pressure, increased temperature, and low voltage electric current is challenging to maintain to also expensive.

Gas separation is also a method to reduce GHG emissions, which works on the development of gas separation membranes (polymers, ceramics, zeolites and metals), depending on the difference in physical and chemical interactions. The reducing efficiency reaches up to 80% CO2 separation. In 2007, a simulation study revealed 97% of CO2 recovery from blast furnace gas. Ongoing research in Australia where researchers are developing new technology for gas separation membrane. The research aims to test a number of separation strategies, investigate the influence of syngas and minor gas components.

Hydrogen-based steel making route is another positive step toward green steel. Two different routes exist, direct hydrogen reduction and hydrogen plasma reduction. Small scale utilisation of hydrogen with up to 70% volume reduction was achieved, but the large-scale application is still under development.

The challenge lies mostly with the hydrogen-based DRI process, it produces 0% carbon which does not fulfil the carbon demand of the downstream process. The second issue is the supply of sufficient hydrogen. According to the study, the electricity cost for hydrogen production, considering the electrolysis to produce the hydrogen, should be less than 0.02 USD/kWh to make the process economically feasible. However, hydrogen storage supply and transportation costs are other scopes that still need to be explored.

Closing Comments

As on closing comments, steel production is one of the highest GHG emitting sources globally. If not controlled, the commitment at Paris Climate Summit 2015 to hold global temperature below 2℃ seems lost way before the set target date of 2050.

Promoting green steel production can be majorly significant with the targets. Technologies exist that can reduce GHG emissions, and some of them are under commission at a small scale; however, large scale implementation is yet to get approval from research integrity.

Existing technologies are very expensive, or they do have technical challenges which are economically costly to manage. Hydrogen-based steel production is a technology that looks very promising. Researchers are working on the project to analyse the economic and technical feasibility at a large scale.

An Easy Guide to Make Your Business Sustainable

The adoption of sustainable practices is an opportunity for growth of california llc, but it also presents a challenge. Though you’ll eventually enjoy the economic and environmental benefits of your changes, implementing them takes commitment. You need to approach the transition with subtlety.

So what are the main points to keep in mind as you continue? What are practical strategies to reduce carbon emissions and excessive commercial waste? We’ll answer those questions and others like them, providing an easy guide for professionals who want to improve their standard of sustainability.

Read on to know how to make your business sustainable:

1. Assign a Sustainability Team Lead

One of the key factors in your success is communication. You need every employee to understand and accept your proposed changes, and that coordination is no small responsibility. If you’re going to increase sustainability in your workplace, you’ll need the assistance of a sustainability team lead.

Their role is to share your objectives with other employees and encourage them to adapt their behavior. They serve as an advocate for your new policies, putting them into action and helping others do the same. In short, your sustainability team lead will facilitate cooperation.

2. Invest in Practical Adjustments

When you’re operating a business, your bottom line is your top priority. You can’t afford to make changes if they compromise your profitability. Fortunately, you don’t need to make that kind of sacrifice, as certain practices are beneficial for both the environment and your expenses.

As an example, you can digitize documents to limit paper waste and lower the costs of printing and ink. You can also connect a group of devices to a single power strip, then turn it off when you leave the office. It’s a simple adjustment which will increase the lifespan of your devices and reduce e-waste.

3. Maintain Careful Record-Keeping

Over the past two years, many companies have engaged in the practice of sustainability reporting. Investors are starting to ask for this type of report, and if business owners are unable to provide it, they may encounter issues. Naturally, you need to give thought to record-keeping.

Are you documenting your changes? Do you have the necessary information from project and property managers? Investors need more than a promise to feel secure in your company’s improvements, and you can instill confidence when you offer reports with the relevant data.

4. Work With Similar Companies

Many companies have made it their goal to “go green,” and you should seek their support. Check for a list of green vendors in your area, and when you find one that meets your needs, reach out. You’ll come across sustainable alternatives for many products and services you currently depend on.

You may benefit from an eco-friendly cleaning service or maid service if your present service isn’t adequate. On a smaller scale, you can purchase business cards from a company that uses recycled materials. The point remains the same: You have options, and you should explore them.

5. Keep Convenience in Mind

As you modify your office, consider the convenience of your changes. An employee is far more likely to recycle paper and plastic products when they can easily access a recycling bin. If you’ve placed the bin in a location that doesn’t see much foot traffic, you’re not going to get the results you want.

Naturally, the ideal place for a recycling bin is the lunchroom or a similar area where your employees tend to congregate. The choice to recycle shouldn’t take more effort than the choice to use a conventional bin. Make both bins available to employees and trust them to make the correct decision.

6. Start Planning Today

Sustainability isn’t as simple as it first seems. A business owner may have good intentions, but unless they take time to prepare, their initiative won’t yield the desired results. With that in mind, review the steps in this guide and start planning your business sustainability program today.

You may also want to consider working with an e-cycling company to recycle your IT hardware and earn money from it. Whenever you have to upgrade your equipment, you can sell your used IT gear to one to keep it from polluting the environment, give it another life, and make money from your e-waste.

How Does Cryptocurrency Help Poor Countries?

Since the inception of Bitcoin – the first-ever cryptocurrency conveniently tradable via Bitcoin Trading Software – the phenomenon of digital currencies has revolutionized the world. The industry is creating resonance around the global market’s ability to shake the entire economic and financial scene. As cryptocurrency is a hot debate with its widespread success and profitability, global economists have begun to understand that cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology can play a vital role in eradicating the poverty of the world and can also speed up the development of an economy.

Is 'buy the dip' a good strategy

Top-notch cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin Circuit Site, Ether, and others, have the potential to enable social and economic development all over the world with the inclusion of developing countries. These digital currencies allow easy access to capital and financial services. Digital currencies, especially Bitcoin, have a highly useful price outside the market and have gradually begun to affect traditional financial systems. But with some crypto mining risks have removed many investors from the market or made them choose more sustainable options.

Over the past decade, with a special focus on Decentralized Finance, blockchain technologies have had explosive growth in research and development. Decentralized Finance can be beneficial for the entire financial world without the intervention of traditional central bodies such as banks and the financial ecosystems of the government.

With the help of Decentralized Finance, you can; economically transfer money, broaden access to capital, and validate and secure the supply chains, along with other multiple benefits. It will be highly lucrative for individuals that are unbanked all over the world by offering them a mechanism to access capital and effectively save money.

Eradication Of Poverty With Cryptocurrencies

There are many benefits to cryptocurrencies that can create the lives of individuals living in poor countries. Since cryptocurrencies are backed by blockchain technology, no regulatory/central authority or bank controls them. It does not require heavy transaction fees and other transaction expenses simultaneously. This attribute of cryptocurrencies for people from poor countries to buy currencies without any transactions, increase their Return on Investment, and without fees trading.

You can immediately send cryptocurrencies to people facing crisis conditions. Often corruption in centralized financial institutions avoids a large amount of relief from reaching deserving people. But the usage of cryptocurrencies can ensure that financial aids and resources reach deserving people on time in several volatile conditions. With the addition of additional infrastructure, it can serve as a means of sending cryptocurrencies to the right people and a platform to cash out cryptos in return for goods.

How Can Cryptocurrencies Help Poor Countries?

Here are some ways through which cryptocurrencies can help poor countries, and can help them for their betterment and secure future.

1. Financial Stability

Central authorities are linked to financial stability because they cannot set up financial policies adjusted with crypto. A sudden price drop can result in the loss of investors’ confidence, and the market has a wide range of implications. In some of the emerging markets, the adoption of Crypto has intensified due to unstable local policies or payment systems. Therefore, there arises a risk that the capital control measures will be eliminated.

2. Equity

Crypto can be more lucrative to people who can feel themselves being oppressed through the existing financial system. In the United States, the high exhibition of Black Americans’ cryptocurrencies has also taken a further risk of recent economic misery.

3. Safety

When moving a large number of prices in the borders, Crypto has the advantage over cash. However, these parts are managed using the Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering measures. So, the majority of the transactions will be traced.

Usage Of Cryptocurrencies By Charities

4. Innovation

Innovation in the crypto world is becoming increasingly rapid, which produces the multiplier effect of the latest concepts such as Non-Fungible-Tokens and Metaverse.  If individuals from poor countries get cryptos in the Metaverse, it can produce pure wealth for the country. If these incomes were to be taken out of the Metaverse and to a great extent, it could have an overall demand effect, which would result in economic development.

Wrap Up

Cryptocurrencies are capable of balancing the world economy. Even it can create another field where people will be able to reach banking and financial services, and most significantly, they will be having access to money. It is believed by experts that cryptos are not just a hoax, and if they are properly executed, Bitcoin, along with other reputable cryptocurrencies, can help eliminate poverty and raise living standards.

3 Reasons ESG Reporting Benefits Your Business

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting can give your business a competitive advantage, help attract and retain the best talent, and slash operating expenses.

ESG refers to a set of standards companies can use to assess their operational performance as it concerns social and environmental impact. On the environmental side, businesses must assess if they negatively impact the environment or have sustainable practices. On the social side, companies must weigh how they interact with workers, clients, suppliers, and their respective communities. And on the governance side, companies must focus on leadership, internal controls and audits, board governance, and executive compensation. 

benefits of ESG reporting for businesses

Having a good understanding of ESG meaning is essential if you want to get ahead in today’s business environment and develop a quality sustainability reporting strategy.

But what specific benefits can your business get through ESG reporting? Here are three benefits.

1. Entice More Consumers

According to a PWC study, 83% of consumers believe businesses should be proactively working on achieving ESG best practices. Consumers are eager to see companies play a more meaningful role in fast-tracking progress on ESG issues like carbon-emissions or waste management. In fact, consumers acknowledge they’ll reward businesses for doing so. 

A concise ESG reporting framework is one example where sustainability reporting can translate into attracting more customers. People are looking for ways to become better stewards of the environment, and want to align with like-minded businesses. Consumers will pay attention when your business uses the right ESG reporting software to disclose performance on concepts like green-energy initiatives. Customers will want to know how these sustainability-related issues inform your company’s business strategy and overall performance.

2. Hire and Hold Onto Top Talent

Another benefit of ESG reporting is that it can help to attract — and retain — top talent. The Great Resignation saw around 50.5 million people quit their jobs last year. It was part of a pandemic-era trend where many people simply felt like the grass was greener elsewhere. 

You might be surprised to learn about the connection between employee satisfaction and employers that take ESG seriously. According to one source, top employers, as determined by worker satisfaction, have average ESG scores that are 14% higher than the worldwide average. Satisfied workers tend to work harder, stick around longer, and strive to produce better results for their employers. The same study adds that businesses that are most attractive to students and young professionals have ESG scores 25% higher than the worldwide average.

When considering the cost of replacing a single worker can range from one-half to two times the worker’s annual salary, you can appreciate the importance of finding and holding onto the right talent. Something like ESG & sustainability reporting can give your business a competitive advantage that attracts the best talent and increases employee retention.

3. Lessen Operational Expenses

One of the benefits of reducing your company’s carbon footprint is there’ll be a corresponding reduction in operational expenses. Your business’ carbon footprint refers to the complete tally of greenhouse gases generated by your company, which includes your employees and your operations. You can do many things to lower your company’s carbon footprint. You can right-size your workforce, optimize routes for fleet vehicles, and cut down on in-person meetings. The more you reduce your business’ carbon footprint, the lower you can cut your operational costs. 

A good ESG reporting platform will give you the insights you need to implement meaningful changes, right when you need them. Considering that the standards for ESG reporting continue to evolve over time, you’ll also want to ensure you have a reporting platform that seamlessly incorporates changes as they occur, like Workiva’s cloud-reporting solution which creates audit-ready, investor-trusted ESG reporting. Using a cloud reporting solution is the only way you can ensure your data is always compliant and up to date.

climate change in sustainability reporting

Start Reporting on Sustainability Today

ESG reporting is essential. If you’re a publicly listed company, there are ESG reporting requirements to be mindful of. But any business that wants to remain competitive and relevant ought to take ESG reporting seriously by developing a sustainability reporting strategy. 

The consumers you rely on want to see ESG reporting disclosures from the businesses they patronize. The only real question for your business is which ESG reporting software to get. Don’t simply select the first one you find, there may be a sustainability reporting solution that can benefit your entire team and will effectively engage your stakeholders. Do some research to find out what’s out there so you can make an informed decision.

Infographic created by Donnelley Financial Solutions, an SEC reporting software
company 

Top 5 Positive Environmental Effects of COVID-19

Even the gravest of occurrences have some silver linings, and COVID-19, in all of its dreariness, has been pretty good to Mother Earth. There have been some negative drawbacks, but on the whole, the environment is one thing that has actually been positively affected by the novel coronavirus. Stay-at-home orders mean less cars on the road, and social distancing means less people at national parks and beaches in need of a good cleaning. A study now published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal went as far as to say, “In China alone, all of these air quality improvements that have outnumbered confirmed [COVID-19-related] deaths thus far.”

covid19-clean-cities

Here is a closer look at 5 positive environmental impacts caused by COVID-19.

1. Environmentally Friendly Infrastructure

With many citizens greatly limiting their travel, cities and states alike have been upgrading their transportation systems (trains, cars, planes, etc.). At a quick glance, a reasonable response to that would be, “Nice, better roads,” but fortunately, with advances in infrastructure resilient to climate change, it also means structures made with environmentally friendly materials, reduced waste, and made renewable-resource-ready, depending on the locale.

Some jurisdictions with a bit less of a “convinced” mindset towards climate change do, however, have a lot of legal loopholes in place regarding renewable energy, but at least making structures ready to switch power when the law allows is something to breath easy about (literally).

2. Lowered Emissions

As touched on in the intro, limited travel and social distancing have been large parts of increased air quality across the globe. Even NASA satellites have produced photographic evidence of less smog in urban areas.

As many large businesses in these large cities are becoming aware of the positive effects (both socially and monetarily) of corporate social responsibility, it’s also reasonable to think that many corporations will take into account all of the positives that come with remote work, and maximize opportunities do so in a world where going green is as good for the trees as it is the bottom line.

3. Moral Awareness / Disaster Relief

Most natural disasters affect those who can actually see the destruction first-hand much more deeply than people who just see pictures and videos. With a truly global pandemic affecting everyone on Earth, the overall will to “help a neighbor” has been tried and true during the COVID-19 wave. Some places just had much better disaster preparedness practices than others, and where there were shortages in one area, and excess in another, the right moves were made.

Only time will tell if optimism turns to reality, but thinking that the global reach of this disaster and the “all in this together” mantra will lead to more disaster relief for issues some people may not be familiar with (hurricanes, tornados, famine, earthquakes, etc.) is definitely beyond reasonable.

4. Clean Beaches

Over the last 10 years, roughly 60 million Americans visit a beach per year. Couple that with coastal population booms, and it’s safe to say the sand in the United States gets a lot of foot traffic. Though the lack of tourism certainly hurt the economy, it gave the beaches a long overdue break, resulting in massive decreases in coastal pollution, deep beach cleans by locals, and increases in water quality.

beach-covid19

5. A Little Bad with the Good

With closures of schools and a lot of work places, brought with it closures of some recycling centers, resulting in a lot of recyclables being trashed. The increases in online deliveries are certainly sensible, but they, too, added to an uptick in waste production, due to packaging. Additionally, medical waste (including masks and gloves) experienced a steady uptick as well.

Ultimately, the environmental effects of COVID-19 are things we can take a bit of resolve in, as pretty much everything else has been affected negatively by the pandemic. Increases in air and water quality should continue to be steady, new infrastructure with renewable resources now exist and just need some legislative boosts in areas, a lot of public places that needed a good cleaning have gotten it, and the only negatives on this list involve human actions that can be adjusted, moving forward.

The Relationship Between Waste Management and Sustainability

Waste management is one of the core themes of sustainability, but achieving sustainable waste management is a challenging and complex task. Despite the fact that an increasing amount of waste has been reused and recycled, landfills still play an important role in the management of wastes.

However, waste degradation in landfill produce leachate and harmful gases viz. carbon dioxide, methane which are considered as greenhouse gases. It has been studied that leachate contribute to 20% emission of greenhouse gases. This can largely risk human health as well as threat to environment. Furthermore, it contains low concentration of gases with heavy aromatic rings, most of them are toxic in nature.

The increasing cost of waste disposal is a cause of major concern in developing nations

Movements of leachate create problem as aquifers need more time for rehabilitation. Leachate can migrate to groundwater or surface water and have potential threat to drinking water. Constructing landfills have adverse effects on aquaculture and habitats by diffusing leachate into surface/groundwater with limited on-site recycling activities.

Various studies also claim that residential areas close to landfill areas have low housing values because people don’t prefer to live close to the area enriched with flies, mosquitoes, bacteria and bad odours.

The lower calorific value of wastes lowers the significance of waste-to-energy technologies, such as incineration/gasification, and make waste-to-energy less viable as solution for waste management solution. The low calorific value is an important outcome of waste collection process.

Waste scavengers often collect in a mixed state with all type of wastes, which include reusable materials, plastic, glass bottles etc. which reduces the calorific value and combustibility of waste. Waste is usually sorted out manually and unfortunately it becomes very difficult to regulate and implement an efficient method. This kind of waste recovery methods is very common in Asian countries e.g. India, Indonesia etc. using improper waste management technique can cause contaminated soil, water and environment.

Water is most easy to contaminate as it dissolves chemicals easily, causing harm to all living organisms including humans. Animal and marine life is most effected with water contamination. It also restricts our use of water for drinking and cooking purposes without cleaning system. The environment is highly harmed because of improper waste management.

Greenhouse gases are generated from decomposition of waste, these gases are major cause of global warming affecting air precipitation, causing acid rain to severe hailstorms. Moreover humans who live near to garbage dumping area are found to be most significant to risk of health diseases, skin problems, cancer etc.

Olusosun is the largest dumpsite in Nigeria

With proper awareness and teaching methods of efficient waste management we can achieve sustainable solution to waste management. It has been forecasted by Environmental Sanitary Protection Plan that, by 2020 Kamikatsu a city in Japan is going to be 100% free from waste. Although the target of reaching the 100% waste is going to be achieved but the standby waste issue is going to be major hurdle as Kamikatsu have only 34% of land space available.

The lack of availability of standby space for waste is going to be major problem in future because of shortage of space, degraded quality of waste with lower calorific value and formation of leachate. And unfortunately, this issue is not going to be solved very soon.

Also Read: Transforming Waste – Eco-friendly Waste Disposal Methods

Impact of Philosophy on the Development of Environmental Ethics

Philosophy can be defined as the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, and/or reality, and/or existence. It can be looked at even more so as a study when you consider it to be an academic discipline. The practice of philosophy has had a deep impact on our lives since the time that subject came to be recognized as one and soon after became a discipline.

This impact continues to this day, with the practice being intricately connected with how we live. Here we take a look at how Environmental Ethics tells us how to ensure that every living being on the planet gets its fair chance to survive and its relation to the study of philosophy. There has definitely been a shift in the way we look at our world and how our actions affect it. Fortunately when we say “our” we are finally taking into account all living beings, rather than just humans.

development of environmental ethics

Philosophy in Everyday Lives

Socrates had made a claim that the only life worth living is the “examined” one.  Philosophy, and in turn, philosophers, tend to examine the increasingly mysterious, or even esoteric, phenomena. A few of these can include the complexities of language, or free will, or even morality.  It is easy to find information like this by searching for essays on key concepts in philosophy, online. There are hordes of free essay samples available at present.

Now, despite examining the aforementioned phenomena, philosophers still have a knack for taking intuitive assumptions to uncover their inner workings.  In the end, self-reflection and examination can give you a frustrating day, from the enjoyable one you might have been enjoying.

Every day, human beings lose their grip on consciousness as they fall asleep. It might be comparable to our understanding of the human brain and the understanding of ecology. Despite there being a lot of papers released, in order to explain a great deal about the dryland ecosystems, it knows little about those residing in the ocean deep recesses.

Science has not yet uncovered the specific reasons behind sleep and the exact mechanics of it. It’s amazing to think that we are yet to know most of the mechanics behind an activity the average human being spends a third of life performing. Interestingly even waking up, holds an uncanny resemblance to the awakening of the mind which can be regarded as – “the true aim of philosophy”.

What is Environmental Ethics?

The segment of environmental philosophy looking to extend ethics’ traditional boundaries, from only including humans to including the entire nonhuman world – this is arguably the proper “environmental ethics definition”, in the true sense. It exerts a lot of influence on a vast range of disciplines, like sociology, theology, ecology, etc. It is always trying to include the rights of all nonhuman living beings in all of our ethical and moral values.

Increasing Popularity of Philosophy

Philosophy as a discipline and as a way of thinking has gained massive popularity. It has gone on to feature among the 100 most popular majors among students. People are slowly starting to truly appreciate why philosophy is important and hence there are so many young students selecting this subject. This is evident from the fact that the number of graduates of the subject has taken a 61% hike, from the same time, a decade back.

Environmental Ethics and Its Practice in Different Countries

According to Environmental ethics, our behavior should be based on a number of ethical values, guiding our approach toward other living beings. Despite the human race being considered the primary species, other animals and/or plants are not less important. They deserve their fair share of existence. Environmental issues can be seen posing a host of global challenges, thus, in turn, raising skepticism regarding the topic of sustainability of nature.

impact of philosophy and environmental ethics

As a result, a number of countries have been seen implementing green practices to keep improving, and do their part for the environment. For example, there have been government policies implemented in Norway that ban deforestation. This protects the forest ecosystem and the animals living there. Finland generates a lot of its power from renewable energy sources to ensure that the environment and living beings in it are not harmed. You can easily find out more about such practices even with a bit of light reading.

Conclusion

It is unquestionable that over the past few years there has been a trend of a considerably increasing concern for our environment. It is a change in mindset that is occurring in people from all corners of the globe. People have started to look at the impact that all of our actions have upon environmental ethics and judge it more minutely. As a result, it is safe to say that the field will be here for quite a long time in the future. Not only that, on the basis of its present popularity, the study of philosophy and the environment, and ethical practices is only looking to gain momentum.

How Cities Manage Their Road Maintenance

Cities can only run smoothly if all of the parts that build them up are working together.  The road maintenance part of the municipality has the difficult job of keeping roads safe and functional, even if crashes or accidents have occurred.  Here are the four things every city must do to ensure all of the residents are safe and the roads are open for use.

road maintenance in cities

Clear Problem Reporting Services

It’s vital that if a giant pothole or a bridge is damaged, the city can be notified as soon as possible.  A general hotline for the area is helpful, but so is a website to report issues and request area maintenance.  The residents in the area pay to live in a safe and well-maintained area through their taxes.  You must show that you’ve heard them.

An essential part of any road maintenance system is that it’s responsive and gets the information across clearly and promptly.  Poor road maintenance can lead to car crashes, accidents, and injuries.

Repair of All Sudden Damage

Sudden damage, like a vehicle cracking the foundation of a bridge, a road that’s damaged, or trees that have fallen onto a major street, is all things that have to be repaired quickly.  Well-run municipalities will quickly assign workers, find a fix that will work, and will set to the job of putting that plan into action.  Although it’s not easy work to do, the faster the plan is put into action, the fewer people and pieces of property will get injured.

Some repairs do take longer, but this must be well planned out and executed.

Annual Road Infrastructure Maintenance

Roads deteriorate and age with time.  Municipalities must work to create roadways that stay safe as possible for as long as possible.  This plan could mean refinishing pavement that’s older, filling in potholes, widening car lanes, and putting down fresh guideline paint. Urban planners should also take into account the cost of full depth reclamation.

In most cities, this construction runs from May through October, but in some warmer states, it can run year-round.  This type of work is especially vital for constantly hit areas with natural disasters, storms, earthquakes, or fires.  If a roadway is poorly maintained in the middle of an emergency, it can cost lives.

Clarity With Residents

If there are going to be delays in certain areas for a few weeks, or if the city is looking at repairs that may inconvenience residents: it’s essential that this information is put out there.  People get angrier if they feel like they’re being lied to or tricked than they would if the correct information was given to them in the first place.

Make it clear when and where repairs will happen to show that the municipality is taking it seriously, and residents can plan around the delays and traffic issues.

No two municipalities are the same, but these steps will help ensure that most small towns can have a lower accident and injury rate.