Today I will be talking about environmental sustainability. Sustainability alone is the ability to continue to do an action endlessly. Environmental sustainability is the ability to continue to do these actions endlessly with little to no impact on the environment. Everything that we might possibly need to survive depends on our environment in some way. It is important to keep into consideration environmental sustainability to preserve resources so that present and future generations can meet all of their needs. Once the progressive Richard Nixon came into the Presidential office almost 50 years ago, he began to take several steps toward environmental sustainability, including the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in late 1969. NEPA requires the federal government to use all practical means necessary to keep the society and nature in productive balance. Shortly after this, President Nixon decided to establish the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate the new policy by "protect[ing] human health and the environment." Part of the EPA's job is to look over the required environmental impact statements (EIS) of federal agencies. If an agency wanted to make a change in their business and it would possibly affect the environment, NEPA requires that they get their action approved by the EPA before they make their decision. You can read more about the EPA, their office locations, and research on their
website.
So what environmental guidelines do agencies have to follow? Under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act, the EPA looks for impacts on air pollution, children's health, energy efficiency, fishery management, grazing, highway development, mining, and much more. Check out the entire list
here.
What can
businesses do to help the environment? They can start a recycling drive such as
the one here on campus, so not all of their waste ends up in landfills.
Another
action they can take, and even we can do it, is to plant trees or sponsor
companies that plant trees. Not only will we need them for future development
of our homes, but they give us the very thing we need to survive: oxygen. Earth
day, yet another positive environmental outreach that came out during the Nixon
Presidency, will be here before we know it!
