GEO 345 Paper
This semester, we have examined a wide range of topics, and chapter 11 highlights some
of the challenges that must be taken into account as we move toward sustainable development.
There are a number of ways that we may individually contribute to moving things in a positive
direction, even if we may not be able to influence many of them. In light of it, the following are
this week's questions: I outlined sustainability as "a concept that advocates the wise use of
resources and promotes ways to fulfill human needs without creating environmental devastation"
at the start of the course. I've found that this term typically captures sustainability effectively,
even if it is fairly nebulous, throughout the course of the semester.
The subjects that I didn't previously identify with sustainability were the ones that I
related to the most. These issues range from the dispute over the environmental implications of
nuclear power use and genetically modified plants to the necessity to provide for the basic
necessities of the world's impoverished. The most likely replacement for carbon in the future is
nuclear power, though it will take a lot more work to make it safe and affordable. The 100
biggest corporations are responsible for 71 percent of world emissions. People should "vote with
their dollar" and boycott irresponsible businesses. Cleaning up areas where plants and animals
reside, helping for various conservation, and energy conservation via minimization, reusing, and
composting are further personal initiatives.
