Managing for Sustainability in a Globalized Environment
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Managing for Sustainability in a Globalized Environment
Author and environmental activist, Naomi Klein released a book (This Changes Everything: capitalism vs. the Climate) just before the massive people’s climate march back in 2014, which argued that the global society is at the brink of a crucial decision: to choose either unregulated capitalism, or a habitable earth. Climate scientists have time and again warned that the earth is on a collision course and that countries should immediately and drastically redesign the development paths they take (Klein, 2014). Klein insisted that what the climate requires to avoid a collapse, is an immediate reduction in humanity’s exploitation of resources. Klein remarked that the time for half-measures had gone, and proactive action had not been taken early enough in the 1990s and 2000s at the onset of rapid globalization. The global society is in dire need of profound changes that could give the world a chance at a sustainable and fairer society. The measures include, an immediate cut in the amount of fossil fuel emissions, and to draft and implement a plan, within a decade or less, that could see the heavily industrialized countries shift to zero-carbon energy sources.
Sustainability and Environmental Management
Sustainability and environmental management at the global stage entails proper management of freshwater systems, oceans, land and atmosphere, in complete adherence to the principles of sustainability. Proper land use is crucial to the operations of the biosphere, this is because land proportionately allocated to agriculture, urbanization, grasslands and forest eventually have a profound effect on the quantity of global water and nitrogen, oxygen and carbon biochemical cycles in the ecosystem. The Earth’s atmospheric management, has become a major focus of scientific research, and its study entails keen analysis of all the aspects of the carbon cycle to grasp and fix the human imposed climate changes, and the impending catastrophic effects on human communities and biodiversity. Climate and weather have been greatly influenced by ocean circulation patterns in the recent past, and this has in turn affected the pattern of food supply for human beings and other organisms.
The fundamental idea regarding sustainability management is based on the clear understanding that, when resources are exploited or consumed faster than they are renewed or produced, the imbalance results in the resource being depleted or eventual extinction. The law of sustainable management suggests that, in a stable sustainable ecosystem, the exploitation of nature is concurrent to the nature’s capacity to meet the demand (http://www.sustainableinnovation.org/_corp-sustainability-mgmt.html). Sustainable development entails adopting operation strategies and ideas that adequately serve the needs and the interests of the company or business enterprise and its proprietors while also sustaining, enhancing and protecting the natural and human resources that will be vital, both in the near future and generations to come (Kearney, 2008).
National Resource Management
Natural resources that are exploited for economic gain such as water, land, animals and plants are to be managed by practicing stewardship, which is taking care of the resources with a keen focus to preserve them for present and future generations. National resource management involves particular observance and control of the interaction between the natural landscapes and people. Under the national resource management, bio-diversity conservation, land use planning and future sustainability of industries are all taken into keen consideration. The future of industries supported by national resources such as, the tourism industry, agriculture, mining, fisheries and forestry are all dependent on an effective and functional National Resource Management system. The national resource management system is cognizant of the fact that some people’s livelihoods are totally dependent on the productivity and health of the natural landscapes and resources. The masses are also sensitized that the health and productivity of the landscapes and natural resources are equally very reliant on their actions as stewards and how they handle the resources. A keen focus and understanding of the scientific and technical aspects of the natural resources, the ecology and the life-supporting capabilities of the specific resources, is very crucial in the management of natural resources. The national resource management is almost similar to other disciplines like environmental management, and it is closely related to, but slightly distinct from sociology of natural resources, when closely analyzed in academic contexts.
It is a fact that national resource management issues are intricately complex. They entail the study of the hydrological cycles, analysis of the ecological cycles, consideration of geographical factors, plants, animals and climate. All these are inter-related and dynamic. Sudden changes in any of the inter-related factors may have adverse and far-reaching effects whose consequences may be irreversible in some instances. The national resource management not only about the control of the natural resources, but it also involves the management of different stakeholders and their various policies, specific interests, politics, economic implications, geographical boundaries and the list goes on, and this makes it almost impossible to consider all factors at the same time. This results to a conflicting state of affairs. Most nations adopted the new principles of natural resource management, after the 1992 Rio de Janeiro United Nations Conference for the Environment and Development (UNCED). The principles subscribed to involved land, forests and water management. The programs express similar aims and ambitions across all the subscribing nations, despite the difference in program names.
Environmental Degradation
It is a clear fact by now, that our seriously degraded natural environment is slowly but surely, losing its capability to sustain the immense impacts of humanity’s rigorous economic exploitations. Throughout the globe, wetlands have been drained, grasslands overgrazed, seas overfished, terrestrial and marine environment full of impurities, polluted by radioactive and chemical poisons (Carson, 1962). Worst of all, atmospheric environment has been destroyed by ozone-depleting gases and climate patterns have been altered by greenhouse gases emitted by human economic activities. Amid the adverse conditions, the global society still has a chance of saving the habitability of our planet, and this can be done by setting out a methodical plan to reduce the impacts of environmental degradation.
Balance between the economy and the ecosystem
A lot of work and numerous research has been done to attempt the reconciliation of the two different strivings of economy and ecology. However, the thought of obtaining an equilibrium between the two goals of ecology and economy seems to be a far-fetched idea, and some professionals have termed it a wishful thinking (Selden and Song, 1995). Efforts made to reconcile the economy and a sustainable ecology have nevertheless been curtailed by the fact that they took place in a context of dramatic inequalities within some countries and across the world. It is worth noting, that the so desired sustainability, cannot exist without equity. Equity entails harmonizing environmental sustainability despite the background of international injustice and unequal development. Forty years of grand bargains, high-profile reports and negotiations have not reached an amicable solution to bring economy, ecology and equity into alignment. These unreconciled strivings imply that, economic growth does not guarantee equity and ecological safety, likewise, some environmental preservation policies result to economic stagnation and even draws some parts of society behind in terms of general development.
In his book, Birth of a New Earth, Adrian Parr quotes that, unprecedented environmental degradation had aroused response from activists and popular movements alike, who had risen up to condemn the ongoing devastation of the earth and the crisis of climate change. The environmental movement has been highly influential, even to their critics, as today more than ever, sustainability is becoming a major point of talk or reference in government policies, national security agenda and corporate mission statements. The price of success has been compromise and thorough questioning of the politics of environmentalism. It is however not clear, if the environmental movement is a revolutionary movement against the current system, or a reformist movement attempting to mend the system by working from within. Parr however called for a paradigm shift from opposition to a collective imagination.
The Modern Environmental Movement and systemic Change Resistance
The problem of environmental sustainability has been discussed for decades and a solution is yet to be given. The current environmental movement has tried to reach a consensus in different ways. The lack of tangible progress on the climate change problem and a severe ecological footprint is a clear evidence that the environmental movement has not achieved their goals of making the world population to adopt sustainable environmental management. It has been noted that humans are naturally resistant to change, especially pertaining to sustainable mode of behavior. This phenomenon is known as the systemic change resistance, also referred to as organizational resistance or policy resistance and some call it barriers to change, and this is among the many challenges that hinder the hard work and strivings of the environmental movement towards achieving their goal of sustainable environmental management despite continuous exploitation of nature for economic purposes.
Conclusion
Over-exploitation of natural resources is, and will adversely affect the environment, the ecosystem, human health, agriculture and the society in general. Mark Twain might have predicted the catastrophic impacts, like global warming, when he famously quoted, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it”. The world has witnessed the harsh consequences of climate change, the causes have been pointed out over the years, but people tend to overlook the fact that despite the damage, there are simple, and practical remedies that can stall further environmental degradation (Union of concerned scientists, 2008). The time to act is now, there is profound hope that inclusive participation between governments and global sustainability managers can bring about a remarkable change. Everyone should strive to leave the earth better than they found it, and if we commit ourselves to this common mission henceforth, then we can avoid the unpleasant consequences that await if no action is taken. I rest my case by saying, this Earth is ours, and we must assume full responsibility for it.
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