Nwosu victor K0155118 Resource Management and Energy Systems 2010

Assignment 3c

THE BARRIERS TO TRANSFORMATION TO A SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL SOCIETY

By

Victor Obinnaya Chikezie Nwosu

MSc Environmental Technology

31/January/2011

Supervisor: Dr Chris Ennis

1
Nwosu victor K0155118 Resource Management and Energy Systems 2010
Assignment 3c

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development according to the World Commission for Environment and

Development (WCED) in the “Brundtland Report” in 1987 is the development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs. This definition does not speak about the environment, but it refers to the total well-
being of people as an environmental quality which this originates from a fundamental ethical
principle: the responsibility of present generations to future generations. The concept of
sustainable development has its stable place not only in the official language and documents
of all international organisations, but also among all social actors, economic as well as
institutional ones. For a sustainable development to be possible and maintained, two
elements that must be taken are the carrying capacity and resource base of the earth which
the resource base of the earth is the main source for the carrying capacity of the earth
(Robert W kater, 2005).

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

The term “environmental sustainability” refers to systematic conditions where neither on a

planetary nor a regional level do human activity disturbs the natural cycles more than
planetary resilience allows, and at the same time does not improverish the natural capital
that has to be shared with future generations. These two limitations, based on a prevalently
physical character, will be aligned with a third limitation, bases on ethics: the principle of
equity states that in a sustainable framework, every person, including those from future
generations, has the right to the same environmental space, that is, the right to access the
same amount of natural resources (Vezzoli C, 2007).

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Sustainable energy is energy which has minimal negative impacts, both in its production and
consumption, on human health and environment, and that can be supplied continuously to
future generations. Sustainable energy promises to make a significant contribution to energy
diversification and energy security. Tapping the local sustainable energy potential available
in each region or country can be the solution to increasing global price and supply volatility,
contributing to energy security and political stability around the world. Today some 2.4 billion
people and still counting have no access to modern energy services and more than one
quarter of the world’s population lives without electricity. The lack of access to energy is a
key factor in perpetuating world poverty and a continued obstacle to economic development.
Sustainable sources of energy can have a substantial impact on poverty alleviation in
developing countries, offering access to readily available, cost-free energy sources while
integrating growing energy needs and sustainable development goals. Sustainable energy
coupled with energy efficiency offer solutions to the critical challenges of our time-climate
change, energy coupled with energy efficiency offer solutions to the critical challenges of our
time-climates change, energy security, nuclear proliferation risks and economic
development. Sustainability energy choices are as follows:
2
Nwosu victor K0155118 Resource Management and Energy Systems 2010
Assignment 3c

1. Solar Power

2. Wind Power

3. Geothermal Power

4. Tidal Energy and Smaller-Scale Hydropower

Sustainable energy is a good choice for the economy of the world because the
economic rewards from sustainable energy investments tend to outpace those from
conventional energy sources, sustainable energy provide more jobs per MW of
power installed, per unit of energy produced, and per dollar investment than the fossil
fuel-based energy sector. At the same time, sustainable energy is becoming
affordable to end-user and is attracting the attention of financial institutions and
investors who are incorporating sustainable energy projects into their portfolios. In
the United States of America, the sustainable energy sector is experiencing virtually
excellent financial success. A $2.5 billion industry on solar PV is projected to grow an
average of almost 20% a year through 2020, Wind energy is also booming with a
record-setting $3 billion worth of new equipment installed in the United States of
America alone for the past 10 years which will soar to $50 billion by 2014 (A, 2005).

ECOSYSTEM

Our planet earth is an ecosystem which relies on the sun for energy (solar energy)
which is converted to resources and services via natural processes, the process of
which plants and animals depends on. Sustainability (i.e. carrying capacity) explains
the total number of organisms over a given period which the ecosystem (i.e. the
earth) can bear with the resource based it has. Ecosystem functioning reflects the
collective life activities of plants, animals, and microbes and the effects these
activities- feeding, growing, moving, excreting waste, etc.- have on the physical and
chemical conditions of their environment. A functioning ecosystem is one that
exhibits biological and chemical activities characteristic for its type. For example,
functioning forest ecosystem exhibits rates of plant production, carbon storage, and
nutrient cycling that are characteristic of most forests. If the forest is converted to an
agroecosystem, its functioning changes.

Ecologists abstract the essential features of an ecosystem into two compartments,

the biotic and the abiotic. The biotic compartment consists of community of species,
which can be divided functionally into plant producers, the consumer that feed on
producers, the consumers that feed on producers and on each other, and the
decomposers. The abiotic compartment consists of organic and inorganic nutrient
pools. Energy and materials move between these two compartments, as well as into
and out of the system. Ecosystem processes are quantified by measuring rates of
these movements. Ecosystem functioning, in turn, is quantified by measuring the
magnitudes and dynamics of ecosystem processes. Ecosystem functioning, results

3
Nwosu victor K0155118 Resource Management and Energy Systems 2010
Assignment 3c

from interactions among and within different levels of the biota, which is describe as
a “nested” hierarchy (Environment, 2008).

Fig 1 Basic Ecosystem Functioning

In the figure above, Producers acquire energy through photosynthesis and take up
inorganic nutrients to produce living biomass, forming the food base for consumer
species such as herbivores and their predators. Mortality leads to accumulation of
organic nutrients which are transformed by decomposers and consumers contribute
to formation of inorganic nutrients by mineralization, completing the cycling of
nutrients between organic and inorganic forms. Energy flows begin with acquisition
by producers and end in loss due to the respiration activities of all organisms.

SUSTAINABILITY

4
Nwosu victor K0155118 Resource Management and Energy Systems 2010
Assignment 3c

Sustainability can be defined as the continuation of benefits after major assistance

from a donor has been completed (Group, 2000). The focus is on sustaining the flow
of benefits into the future rather than on sustainable programs or projects. Projects
are by definition not sustainable as they are a defined investment with a start and
finish period. Managing sustainability is a process aimed at maximising the flow of
sustainable benefits. It should be an on going process and needs to be reviewed and
updated as circumstances change and lessons learned.

The key factors affecting sustainability are: (i) Partner Government and Donor
Policies (ii) Local participation and ownership (iii) Management and Organisation
(iv) Financial (v) Awareness and training (vi) Technology (vii) Social, gender and
culture (viii) Environment (ix) External political and economic factors.

The task of a sustainable global society is very daunting as the world’s population
have grown and is still growing at an exponential rate with the effect that energy
needs in the world today are also growing exponentially, resources are being
depleted fast without replacements made. Overcoming the umpteen challenges
posed by exploiting and exploring the above factors and managing catastrophes will
lead the world to a better energy balance.

REFERENCES

A, Slater. 2005. A Sustainable Energy Future is Possible Now. Abolition 2000 Sustainable Energy
Work Group. [Online] 4 October 2005. [Cited: 16 December 2010.] http://www.abolition2000.org.

Environment, National Council for Science and The. 2008. Ecosystem Services. National Council for
Science and The Environment. [Online] 4 January 2008. [Cited: 16 January 2011.]
www.ncseonline.org/.../Breakout29/Ecosystem_Services_Jan_2008_Update.pdf.

Group, Quality Assurance. 2000. Promoting Practical Sustainability. Australian Agency for
International Development. [Online] 01 September 2000. [Cited: 16 December 2010.]
www.ausaid.gov.au.

Robert W kater, Thomas M Parris, Anthony A Leiserowitz. 2005. What is Sustainable Development?
Goals,Indicators,Values and Practice. Harvard Kennedy School. [Online] 01 April 2005. [Cited: 16
December 2010.] www.hks.harvard.edu/sustsci/ists/docs/whatisSD_env_kates_0504.pdf.

Vezzoli C, Manzini E,. 2007. Design for Environmental Sustainability. Bologna : Zanichelli editore SPA
Bologna, 2007. 978-88-08-16744-6.