environmental protection and management essay

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Environmental Protection and Waste Management Essay

1. introduction.

Environmental protection and waste management are the key to protecting our surroundings. Your children and the upcoming generations will be able to get a good quality of life only if you take positive actions now. By living more sustainably, complex problems such as climate change can be tackled, and you can be proud to create a cleaner, healthier world. Environmental protection is influenced by three interwoven factors: environmental legislation, ethics, and education. Each of these factors plays its own important role in environmental protection. Environmental protection can be influenced by policies which are supposed to be rolled out in order to keep a process on track. National policy must be in place to ensure the various actions; this usually is in the form of legislation. The Clean Air Act is a form of national policy that sets out a framework in order to control levels of air pollution in the UK. Step by step progress is being made via setting standards, which will control the levels of a certain pollutant that is allowed in the air. If a company is to build a new factory, various assessments will have to take place to ensure minimal impact on the surrounding environment. This can be done in the UK through a Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) assessment. This act requires an integrated approach to pollution control, where if there is a likelihood that an activity will cause pollution, it should not take place. Compared to the US, the UK has been seen to have much fewer impacts on the environment due to the decreasing levels of environmental pollutants.

1.1 Importance of Environmental Protection

A clean environment is essential for human health and well-being. However, the activities of man have led to the pollution of the environment, and it has become a matter of great concern to us. Environmental protection is essential as humans interact with the environment in different ways which affect it. It provides natural resources, basic life support, maintenance of genetic and biological diversity, a beautiful environment, health, and psychological well-being. All of these are important and lead to the quality of life and survival of humans. Misuse of resources and pollution of the environment leads to a decrease in the quality of life and, in some cases, even health problems. Poor people often live in areas of high pollution, and they have no choice but to damage their health through the constant exposure to pollution. Desertification and deforestation in some areas have led to a scarcity of resources such as wood and fresh water. Protecting the environment will assure the availability of resources for future generations. A complex mixture of economic, political, legal, technological, and social factors are involved when attempting to protect the environment. Environmental protection is not the responsibility of a few people; it is everyone's responsibility. Although decision-makers such as politicians and business leaders have the most responsibility, everyone makes decisions that affect the environment in some way. Throughout every stage of development, certain choices are always less damaging to the environment and can be the preferred choices if environmental concern is present.

1.2 Significance of Waste Management

Waste is a by-product of life. People in all countries consume a variety of products to meet their needs or wants. Most of the products consumed create waste. The nature of waste is a reflection of the quality of life it provides. The more sophisticated lifestyles usually generate more waste. The development of a country usually creates a large amount of waste. As technology develops, the nature of waste also changes. As people rely more on technology, the types of waste will be more complex. Compare the waste from the Stone Age, which was only made up of stones, bones, or leaves, people today generate much more waste that is hazardous to health and the environment. Waste management is the process of treating solid wastes and offers a variety of solutions for recycling items that don't belong to trash. It is about how garbage can be used as a valuable resource. Waste management is something that each and every household and business owner in the world needs. Waste management disposes of the products and substances that you have used in a safe and efficient manner. No creature can live in a dirty place filled with garbage. Imagine the life of a newborn child. The baby needs a clean place to grow into a healthy child. An unclean environment can affect the health of the child. The same goes for adults or elders. We all need a clean environment in order to stay healthy. But things have changed since decades ago. People dump lots of unwanted items into rivers or lakes or forests. The existence of improper waste management has caused the replacement of a clean and healthy environment with the current scenario. Now, diseases such as dengue, leptospirosis, or malaria can be easily contracted. These are the diseases caused by vectors from a dirty environment. High fever, jaundice, or typhoid are also common now. All these are our own mistakes. We didn't manage our waste properly. The effects are now felt by the entire population regardless of age. Diseases are something that we do not want. That's why we need proper waste management.

2. Environmental Regulations

The three general categories for environmental regulations are government laws and policies, international treaties, and trade standards. There also are ways that the compliance with environmental regulation is monitored and rewarded. Command-and-control regulations are less effective than incentive-based regulations. Regulations are classified as command and control where there are mandatory limits set on pollutants; companies in violation of the regulation can be fined or imprisoned. This type of regulation isn't always effective or efficient in achieving the desired level of environmental protection. An alternative to command and control is incentive-based regulation such as emissions trading which utilizes a market device to reduce pollution. In emissions trading, a level of pollution is set and strict permits for pollution are distributed among firms. So if a firm can easily reduce their pollution, they can then sell their permits to other companies and make a profit. This creates a market for pollution permits, where the desired level of reduction in pollution is achieved, but in a cost-effective manner to the industry. Emissions trading can be domestic or international, it is a flexible approach to regulation and can sometimes achieve the same reductions in pollution as command and control regulation. An efficient incentive-based regulation introduced in 2003 in Australia are the Greenhouse Friendly initiatives. These initiatives aim to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and are run by the Department of the Environment and Heritage. These initiatives also utilize emissions trading and have provided many positive outcomes.

2.1 Government Policies and Laws

Any government lays the groundwork with policies, regulations, laws, and legislation intended to conserve the environment from degradation and preserve natural resources. The government of Malaysia was a fond regulator and enforcer of environmental policy law, which is designed to bring the economic progress of the nation in line with protecting public health, conserving natural resources, and protecting the ecosystem. It was realized that economic and protected development can only be sustained if it is supported by an environment that is not under duress and where carrying capacity is not exceeded. Hence, there is a principle that states sustainable development is a definite pattern of activity in which the use of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional changes are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet human needs and aspirations. Successive five-year development plans, which were part and parcel of Malaysia's Vision 2020 policy, laid out strategies in bringing Malaysia to a fully developed status by the year 2020. An integral part of these plans is the development control and implementation of environmental policy, law, and regulation. A major breakthrough in modernizing environmental legislation came about with the formation of the Department of Environment in Malaysia in 1976. The main objective of this organization is to achieve sustainable development by integrating environmental considerations into all sectors of development activity.

2.2 International Agreements and Conventions

The first environmental agreement made at a worldwide level was the Vienna Convention for the protection of the Ozone Layer, followed by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Both of these agreements were designed to protect human health and the environment against adverse effects from activities that can cause the depletion of the ozone layer through the control of trade and use of different chemicals. Parties to the Montreal Protocol have to phase out the use of certain chemicals in the future and the Protocol has provisions designed to allow developing countries to have longer time scales for the phase out of these chemicals. This Protocol is an excellent example of a mix of command-and-control and market-based environmental strategies. The success of the Protocol in meeting its aims has been considerable and as a result, it has been seen as a model for other agreements. The issue of climate change also has two major agreements. The first of these was the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This has a wide range of objectives connected to the protection of the climate system, which includes the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The Convention itself did not set binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions but recognized that in order to do so it required further agreement. This agreement was later addressed by the Kyoto Protocol, which set binding obligations on those countries classed as 'Annex 1' to the Protocol to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Both of these agreements are still in place.

2.3 Compliance and Enforcement

The final consideration in the development of environmental regulations is the compliance and enforcement of these policies. This is the key to the success of all environmental policies. Without good compliance, the environmental policies and regulations will be useless and money will be wasted. This will also erode the public's confidence in the government to deliver. If industries are seen to be constantly avoiding the implementation of policies, it can cause serious political damage to the government of the day. There are many sources and types of non-compliance, some are just mistakes or failure to understand the regulation, others are deliberate acts to avoid compliance. Confidence and the ability to promote self-regulation within the industry from the government sector are the most effective tools for ensuring good compliance. This confidence will be difficult to establish if the regulations are constantly changing. It is imperative that the regulators have a clear understanding of the industry and the regulated community have a clear understanding of what is expected from them. Requirements must be realistic and attainable. This confidence will lead to self-regulation by the industry. The industry is most likely to implement a regulation if they feel it is in their best interests and it is the least costly option. This may involve some form of economic incentive. For the case of climate change, the implementation of a cap and trade system on carbon emissions is seen as the most cost-effective way to achieve the carbon emissions target. If there is little confidence, the industry may simply make the attempt to wait out the government until the regulations are dropped. Finally, an industry that has confidence in the regulations will monitor their own compliance and take corrective actions. Measures to monitor compliance can place a large financial burden on government resources, so it is important for the regulators to implement changes in the least costly and most effective ways.

3. Waste Reduction Strategies

Consumers and manufacturers both need to accept their environmental responsibility in seeking to reduce the pressures on the environment imposed by the production, use, and disposal of consumer goods. A move towards a more sustainable 'recycling society' is an important component in reducing the environmental impact of materials. Recycling and re-use can both reduce resource consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases, but sometimes these options can have complex environmental, social and economic implications. There remains some debate as to whether 'recycling' is environmentally or economically friendly, however, we are now more informed as to the urgency and severity of the situation, and beginning to act appropriately. Recycling is part of the 'waste hierarchy' for moving towards sustainability: reduce, re-use, recycle, dispose. Each tier of this hierarchy has implications for both the environment and the resource use. Therefore, trying to reduce and/or reuse materials would provide even more resource and energy savings. With this in mind, the significance of recycling will still hold great importance in reducing GHGs in the atmosphere and closing the material lifecycle. Recycling involves the recovery of existing materials to make new products. This can both reduce the raw resources consumption and reduce the ensuing waste to be disposed of. However, at times it may be the case that the energy and environmental costs of collecting and processing the materials can exceed the benefits to be gained. Market factors can also have great influence over the logistics and success of recycling programs. Should the demand for a material or its value in the market be low, it might be economically or practically infeasible to recycle the material. This could be said to be the case for glass which is not a targeted material for reprocessing in the UK, and a high proportion is currently exported to other countries. The use of reprocessed materials can send out a clearer environmental signal; that products have not been created at the expense of the environment. This can also involve reuse of materials or products. A good example is the refillable bottle, or packaging, which has been reused at its initial point of purchase. This will generally have net positive environmental benefits, but may encounter resistance from consumers due to perceived hygiene or health risks.

3.1 Recycling and Reusing Materials

Recycling and reusing materials is perhaps the best way an individual can help the environment. When a consumer is aware of the decisions he or she makes in their day-to-day lives and the effects of those decisions, they will begin to recognize the amount of waste that is produced. By understanding the consumer chain of a certain product, a person can see where the waste is accumulated, and this can help to alter the product to reduce waste. All of this will take an increased level of awareness of the problems of waste and an increased level of concern for the environment, but the benefits are extraordinary. In the future, products can be recycled indefinitely, or composted to recycle the nutrients back into the environment. This is the essence of recycling. When a person is deciding what to do with a product they no longer use, they can alter the final destination of the product. Materials can be reused and repurposed for other things. For example, glass bottles can be used to store other materials, or they can be ground up and used as filler material in construction and road building. Guess considering a second use for a product or using multi-use products can help significantly to reduce waste. An example is doing simple clothing or rag swaps as opposed to buying new cleaning materials. This will reduce the amount of resources used for producing a product and it will reduce the waste of the old product.

3.2 Composting and Organic Waste Management

Composting can reduce the amount of organic waste that is generated. It involves decomposing organic waste by providing an ideal environment for microorganisms to thrive. The result is a product that can be used as a soil amendment to increase soil fertility. Home composting can be accomplished by piling organic waste in a heap and leaving it to decompose over a period of months. However, composting can be smelly and attract pests. To prevent this, there are many types of composting bins available on the market. Vermicomposting is a type of organic waste composting using various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposed organic material and vermicast. These are often used for container plants as they allow the compost to slowly release nutrients to the plant. Composting is viable as a waste management strategy on a global scale as it can reduce the build-up of waste in landfills, reduce harmful leachates and greenhouse gases, and return organic matter to the soil in order to rebuild and maintain soil fertility and health. An example of composting policy in practice is the Singapore Green Label certification, administered by the Singapore Environment Council. The program helps to protect the environment by promoting the supply of environmentally preferable goods and services. Organic waste can be given the Green Label if the company produces the product using environmentally friendly processes like composting and using the compost to improve soil condition.

3.3 Minimizing Single-Use Plastics

The term "single-use plastics" refers to plastic products that are specifically designed for disposal after being used once, usually as packaging. They are among the most common rubbish items picked up in beach cleanups and are in the top five categories of rubbish found on World Oceans Day. Single-use plastic is not only wasteful but also costly and is a serious part of the plastic pollution problem. This can be due to the lack of plastic recycling methods in society, so it is simply easier for customers to throw the plastic in the bin rather than find a bin that specializes in recycling only. Single-use plastics are also detrimental to animals as they can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, and other plastics can get entangled around limbs or in burrows. This is not necessarily a waste issue but is certainly a problem caused by the improper disposal of single-use plastics. One of the solutions is replacing single-use plastics with other materials that are low cost and biodegradable. An example is the "plastic" ring that holds cans together being replaced with a cardboard one. This is an effective method as it does not change the convenience of the product for the customer yet is not harmful once disposed of.

3.4 Waste-to-Energy Technologies

Incineration is the process of burning waste materials to either produce electricity or to destroy and reduce the volume of the waste. Incineration can produce significant amounts of electricity, which can be sold into the power grid. This technology provides an alternative to other waste-to-energy methods and can help in the diversification of the energy market. There are high costs associated with the construction of incineration plants; however, once built, they can become a reliable source of electricity, which is beneficial to the producer. A disadvantage of incineration is the potential for harmful emissions, such as greenhouse gases and dioxin, to be produced if the waste is not burned at a sufficient temperature. Modern waste-to-energy incineration plants are able to control the process and reduce harmful by-products. This is done by firstly using the heat-up phase to evaporate all water content within waste products, which can account for as much as 70% of its weight. The combustion phase then burns carbon-based materials, and the burnout phase allows complete combustion of carbon monoxide and dioxins. Due to the fact that incineration burns the waste, it does not present the same risk of groundwater pollution as landfill sites.

4. Sustainable Practices

Sustainable practices encourage people to consume more efficiently and help minimize waste. Sustainable consumption is the use of services and related products which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle, so as not to jeopardize the needs of future generations. It can be done through: the product lifecycle - identifying where the biggest impacts are and making changes in these areas. Lifecycle analysis looks at the environmental effects of products from the extraction of raw materials, through manufacture and use, to ultimate disposal or recycling. Greener products - these are products which cause less damage to the environment through the resources they use or the pollution they create. Ecolabelling, whereby products are awarded a logo for fulfilling environmental standards, helps consumers identify greener goods. Just-in-time production - this is a production system, which seeks to avoid waste by producing the right amount, and the right parts, at the right time. It is driven by a pull demand from a market, and works by producing product only as it is needed for sale. Providing consumers with information - often consumers would like to buy greener products but there is a lack of information on such goods, or they are more expensive. Telling consumers about the environmental effects of the products they currently buy can also have an impact.

4.1 Sustainable Consumption and Production

Use and production involve using goods and services that satisfy the basic needs and improve the quality of life, while minimizing the use of irreplaceable energy and resources, aiming to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This has been recognized as an important matter that needs to be addressed. Developing and implementing successful SCP policy could lead to the creation of market incentives that lead to more sustainable consumption, companies meeting consumer demand for sustainable products, public sector organizations leading by example, and an overall decrease in the environmental impact of consumption and production. UNEP has identified five key features of SCP: products that minimize the use of resources and emissions of toxic materials, products that are healthy and safe, products that are high quality and more durable, meeting the basic needs of all people, and lastly, consuming less. This being the most straightforward yet complex indication showing the vast differences between unsustainable and sustainable production and consumption. The Director of the OECD Environment Directorate highlights the importance of greening public policies to influence more sustainable behavior in consumption and production patterns, as well as the importance of consumer education. With these solid frameworks and methodologies, successful application to the global community would surely yield positive environmental outcomes.

4.2 Energy Efficiency and Conservation

The first law of thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This means that all actions and processes in the world use an amount of energy that is converted, and this can often be an inefficient process. Improvements in energy efficiency can reduce the use of natural resources and environmental damage. It is estimated that between 25% and 75% of the energy used in households is wasted. Preventing this waste of energy is the same as increasing the energy supply by the same amount without any of the damaging effects. There are two energy conservation techniques that can be implemented into everyday life practice. The first is an increase in energy productivity. For example, in residential housing, more energy can be produced from solar hot water systems, and this will reduce waste of energy derived from other forms. The second method is to implement behavior-based energy conservation. This can be achieved with simple changes that reduce energy consumption. One less energy can be a world leader in energy management and an achievement of a sustainable energy future. Global deliveries of the roadmap have the potential to reduce projected increases in energy demand by around half. This could result in large energy cost savings, reduced environmental damage, and increased energy security for each world region.

4.3 Green Infrastructure and Urban Planning

Urban expansion has had numerous negative impacts, which range from increased levels of air pollution to diminished water quality. Cities are also significant contributors to global environmental change, despite having only three percent of the Earth's land surface. They are responsible for consuming 75% of natural resources and emitting similar proportions of global CO2 emissions. Urban sprawl, which is characterized by low density, automobile-dependent development, has been cited as a key contributor to the rapid loss of the world's remaining biodiversity and natural habitats. It is the leading cause of fragmentation in most regions. This leads to various other environmental problems, as it places more stress on infrastructural development, squanders land, increases pollution, and harms human and environmental health. High levels of impervious surfaces from urban development can greatly affect an area's hydrology. This can result in more frequent flooding and overall lower water quality. Increased air temperatures from replacing vegetated areas with buildings and roads, commonly referred to as the urban heat island effect, can have an impact on both energy usage and air quality. These negative impacts have led to a gradual shift in both policy and mindset towards creating more sustainable urban environments. An example of this is the ecosystem approach, which looks to integrate ecological principles in urban land use planning. This involves protecting and maintaining regional or landscape biodiversity while still allowing for urban development. To do this, planners require a sound understanding of the ecological structure and processes of the landscapes they are working with. An attempt to do this in the United States of America has been the establishment of the National Gap Analysis Program, which aims to provide the biodiversity information necessary to support this kind of approach. An additional strategy is to encourage more compact forms of urban development, such as the promotion of higher density mixed-use urban centers and public transit-oriented development, that allows for preservation of natural areas and farmland at the urban fringe. More recently, there has been a focus on trying to make cities more resilient to the impacts of global environmental change. This has come from the recognition that the global environment is in a state of flux and that the effects of human-induced environmental change are likely to continue for some time, even if mitigation measures are implemented. This has been expressed by the increasing use of the term 'sustainability' and transition from traditional to more recently, 'new' sustainability science in academic literature. The new sustainability paradigm recognizes the need to develop ways of living that can cope with, steer, and adapt to dynamic and uncertain global environmental changes. It is now being applied to urban environments, with an example being the research conducted by the United States Urban Ecology Research Consortium into how urban areas can become more resilient in terms of being able to absorb change and still maintain the provision of ecosystem services. This has now culminated in a new research agenda for urban areas and global environmental change. An area potentially affected greatly by future uncertainty is Australia, where much of its urban infrastructure has been designed with the existing climate in mind and often an assumption of a continued abundant water supply.

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Environmental Protection and Waste Management Essay

Introduction, sources of contemporary environmental challenges, global view of waste management, human ecology in relation to environmental challenges, case analysis of the contemporary environmental challenges, environmental effects of waste, background study of environmental waste.

Contemporary environmental challenges concerning current state of the environment lack clear solutions or elucidation. Arguably, majority of the collective proposals or resolutions have some link to economically associated struggles between companies or are from personal perspectives thus lack any scientifically related basis. There is an urgent need to find proper alternatives of managing waste. Waste disposal is the main pollutant that causes radical and alarming environmental changes.

According to Jandt, (2009) UN research indicates that one person for every six in the world lacks access to clean water (6). The UN prediction is that by the year 2025, two thirds of the worlds’ populace will not have access to adequate clean drinking water. The effect is already underway in some areas where people search relentlessly for the commodity they now commonly refer to as the “blue gold”.

The study indicates that only a ninth of the used plastic bottles are recycled. The rest face dumping into the woods, roadsides, seascapes, streams or rivers. These decay resistant materials clog the landfills thus causing intoxication through leaching. Poor dumping styles are therefore the biggest global environmental challenge.

This paper will form an overview analysis of the factors that cause chaotic and un-harmonized inferences regarding environmental protection. This paper will examine the real consequences of waste to environmental degradation. The analysis also focuses on the intellectual behaviour of people regarding the environmental effects of waste.

Most people have a mentality of engaging recycling as the best and most suitable way of managing waste. Scientifically landfills might be a more viable method of disposal compared to burning or recycling depending on the type of waste, situation at hand, cost/benefit exploration and risk valuation (Bruins and Heberling, 2005, p.76).

It is economically benefiting to consider recycling aluminium cans or foils, while the same option would not be economically viable for paper and glass. Recycling paper consumes more water compared to new production from wood pulp. During paper recycling procedure, there is worse depletion of water resources and scientific discoveries indicate that water is becoming a non-renewable commodity.

Paper recycling also creates more environmental pollution due to ink removal procedures among other factors. For this reasons, there is need to consider the environmental and economic expenses of recycling before engagement. Risk assessment involves analysing the amount and rate of intoxication. The problem lies on lacks of enough prove that secondary production/recycling of most products comprises more pollution than primary production.

The food industry also suffers from various overstretched landfills-related implications from the media. Scientific research ought to be the only viable means of providing information that can guide people on the choice of environmentally friendly procedures. The big debate about the plastic and paper cups in the food industry is very easy to settle.

Scientific research shows that more wood pulp is required to produce a cup compared to polystyrene for plastic cups. Production of paper cups would therefore require more steam, electric energy, cooling water and furthermore there is more waste production. More contaminants are present in the wastewater from wood pulp processing compared to polythene. This indicates that if people would follow the cost analysis and risk assessment of recycling against construction of landfills, then polythene usage would prevail.

The widely overstated allegations regarding landfills are obnoxious since very little space can and will only be required for properly managed disposals, over a long period. This is a clear indication of why the contemporary environmental challenges are termed “Wicked problems”. Leaders such as at the resent Copen Hagen meeting lack proper guidance to choose the appropriate methods for people to follow. Individuals are practicing what they think is right but environmental problems are persisting.

Leaders have been under pressure especially from non-governmental organizations to implement bills that enhance measures to control recycling. While the demand for recycling plastics remains very high, there is very low rate of recycling.

Engagement of global campaigns is a good indication of concern by many people especially environmentalists. Are we suggesting the right mechanism or making the situation worse? Leaders may be pushing waste management regulations and various states have seen the outcome of these ‘producer responsibility laws’ with at least one in every five plastic bottles being recycled.

The common methods for enhancing recycling today are through awareness campaigns over the impact of the plastics to the environment. Such methods are creating responsiveness among consumers with regard to home or business recycling initiative. However, there is lack of appropriate programs to provide consumers with the latest news over recycling methods or right procedures to deal with wastes (Keegan and Schlegelmilch, 2001, p.15).

With scientific analysis terming recycling as an expensive and an environment-threatening procedure, there is lack of vital guidance. Other than having a debate that supports recycling blindly, a reflection on the bright side of the outcome would lead to campaigns for litter-free environments and other environment-friendly measures. The depository laws that govern people’s reactivity to plastics would work better if the public were aware of the scientific results (Keegan and Schlegelmilch, 2001, p.15).

Today the society focuses on happiness, health and better lives, therefore other suggestions revolve around use of biodegradable materials. The issue of biodegradation comes about because of poor response over need for proper waste management styles or recycling. The questions depicted regarding production of biodegradable products focuses on risk evaluation, safety and health.

There is very low response towards educating the public on issues regarding environmental effects of recycling. Arguably, majority of the consumers are aware of the dangers, but prefer it due to exposed scenarios of poor damping. The awareness campaigns ought to focus on proper ways of getting rid of waste based on the cost/benefit analysis as well as evaluation of pollution risks. The choice must depend on effects and cost.

Various economists of ecology present very adverse imagery of the future by referencing the past and comparing it to the contemporary situation. Doom or more wicked problems have been the predictions all along. According to Burman (2007), the problem has a link to human adoptability to the environment. The population is rapidly increasing, but people fail to meet the hasty demands to adapt to the surroundings in accordance with the situations (27).

The past indicates that human species had little struggles adapting to the environment. Population was very little in comparison to availability of resources. Human kind alters the environment frequently to accommodate population growths. Demand for higher living standards of current lifestyles calls for changes. People have varying views and outrageously predicting Global catastrophes due to mismanagement of resources.

The predictions date back to the historical eras but it is easy to contain the situation by adoptability to nature. If people agree on the best way forwards and strictly adhere to the scientifically proved facts, then human adoptability is the only way to prosperous future regardless of the population growth. People should thus depend on Human ecology for basic explanations and guidance through human environmental facts.

Environmentally it would be very difficult to argue against the fact that waste management has become an eminent factor of consideration in the whole world. The development of land is occurring at an alarming rate while the rates of recycling, scarce usage and proper waste disposing mechanisms remain dismally very low. Considering the water industry, the amount of plastic bottles discarded by users exacerbates various environmental problems.

In line with McKinney et al, (2007) bottled water has escalated today with a worldwide production of billions of litres yearly (9). The transportation energy required to distribute this water is a great drain to the limited fossil fuels. The significant environmental strains are thus inclined to the unregulated use of limited variable resources, involved in manufacture of billions of synthetic containers as well as pollution due to improper discards.

Industries waste may be causing a lot of strain to the environment, but the proposed solutions seem to go against the standards of living, thus creating a tug of war between concerns of environmental damage and issues relating to compromised quality of life. Today the world is faced with problems related to global warming as a result if emissions or presence of high intoxicants in the atmosphere.

Most fuel emissions of green house gases such as carbon dioxide poses global challenges of finding ways of limiting such pollutions. To date, the global meetings still lack proper achievements, since the main cause of heated debate concerns quality of life, other than incentives of reducing environmental degradation.

Oils and natural gases facilitate plastics manufactory. The classification of these sources of energy falls under the non-renewable sources of energy. Yearly manufactory of plastic containers or polythene bags indicates a figure of million tons. The problem does not concern manufacturing but the industrial procedures and depository methods.

The plastic bottles are made of substances that require less energy and thus industries release fewer emissions to the surroundings during the recycle process compared to metals or glass and this is the main reason why people should take the advantage of plastics. The process used to making plastics is however toxic and causes severe effluence to the atmosphere and human health, especially when the safety measures lack proper enhancements (Keegan and Schlegelmilch, 2001, p.17).

Today, the environment is facing serious challenges when plastics and polythene bags are not properly disposed or recycled and instead they face haphazard dumping. Plastics remain at the dumping sites for hundreds of years due to the slow rate of breakdown, thus the reason why we need a controlled mechanism.

Considering the scientific reveals mentioned in this analysis, it would be better to recycle other than keep producing and dump haphazardly. A major concern is that, issues of environmental degradation are not solvable through abandoning one pollutant for the other (Kutz, 2005, p.165).

There is lack of strong basis for scientific findings and current guidance is causing the environmental challenges to become “wicked problems”. The merits of contemporary claims require full assessment over sufficient timelines and viable data, in order to filter out the heavily popularized ambiguous claims from mare thoughtful concepts.

If people would consider the effects of recycling to the environment compared to fresh manufactory as revealed earlier in this paper, then the issue of campaigning for need to recycle would never rise. This means that people would never compromise on waste management techniques and therefore contemporary challenges would never exist.

Bruins, R. and Heberling, M. (2005). Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment . Florida, FL: CRC Press. Print.

Burman, S. (2007). “The State of the American Empire: How the USA shapes the World” . Berkley, CA: University of California Press.

Jandt, F. E. (2009). “An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global Community ” (sixth Ed.), New York NY: Sage

Keegan, W. and Schlegelmilch, B. (2001) “Global Marketing Management: A European Perspective.” New York, NY: Pearson Education Press. Print.

Kutz, M. (2005). Handbook of environmental degradation of materials, Volume 0, Issue 8155 . Norwich, NY: William Andrew Publishers, Print.

McKinney, M., Schoch, R. and Yanavjak, L. (2007). “ Environmental Science: System and Solutions” (fourth Ed). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers

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Essay on Environmental Protection

Environmental protection is improving, defending, and maintaining the quality of the environment. The main methods of environmental protection are recycling, reusing, and reducing; however, some other methods such as Green Energy production, green transportation development, and eco-friendly industrialization also exist. Not only residents but also businesses and industries should play their basic roles to improve the environment.

The History of Environmental Protection  

Humankind has always been concerned about the environment. The ancient Greeks were the first to develop environmental philosophy, and they were followed by other major civilizations such as India and China. In more recent times, the concern for the environment has increased because of growing awareness of the ecological crisis. The Club of Rome, a think tank, was among the first to warn the world about the dangers of overpopulation and pollution in its report "The Limits to Growth" (1972).

In the early days of environmentalism, people thought that the best way to protect nature was to set aside areas where humans would not disturb the environment. This approach, which is known as preservation, was given a major boost in the United States with the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916.

The modern environmental movement began in the 1960s when concerns about the negative impact of humans on the environment began to increase. In response to these concerns, governments around the world began to pass legislation to protect the environment. In the United States, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970.

The Principles of Environmental Protection

There are three fundamental principles of environmental protection:

The precautionary principle: This principle states that if an activity has the potential to cause harm to the environment, then steps should be taken to prevent that harm even if there is no clear evidence that the activity is damaging.

The polluter pays principle: This states that the party responsible for causing pollution should be held responsible for cleaning it up.

The public right to know the principle: This principle states that the public has a right to know about any potential threats to the environment and what is being done to address them.

The goals of Environmental Protection

There are three main goals of environmental protection:

To protect human health: This is the most important goal of environmental protection because humans cannot survive without a healthy environment.

To protect ecosystems: Ecosystems are the foundation of life on Earth, and they provide many benefits to humans, such as clean air and water, food, and fiber.

To promote sustainable development: Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Environmental protection is a practice that aims to protect the natural environment from the hands of individuals, organizations, and governments. It is the need of the hour because the Earth's environment is deteriorating every day, and the reasons are human beings. They are mishandling the Earth's environment to fulfill their needs. If it goes like this, then it is difficult to say that the future generation will have a safer environment to live in. Through this essay, you will learn the importance of environmental protection.

A Long Essay on Environmental Protection

It is imperative to protect our natural environment from deteriorating, and the only way to do that is through environmental protection. This process should be adopted by every country as soon as possible before it is too late. The objective of this process is to conserve all the natural resources and try to repair some parts of the environment that are possible to get repaired. The biophysical environment is getting degraded permanently because of overconsumption, population growth, and the rapid development of technology. This can be stopped if the government plan strategies to restrict these activities to perform in a controlled way. This environmental protection essay can be a great help for the students to understand the environment they are living in.

Voluntary Environmental Agreements

Voluntary environmental agreements are getting popular in most industrial countries. Through this free essay on environmental protection, one will learn more about this type of agreement. These agreements provide the companies with a platform where they are recognized if they are moving beyond the minimum regulatory standards for protecting the environment. These agreements support the development of one of the best environmental practices. For example, the India Environment Improvement Trust (EIT) has been working in this environment field since the year 1998. Through this environmental protection essay, one is getting so much to learn.

Ecosystems Approach

An ecosystem approach to environmental protection aims to consider the complex interrelationships of the ecosystem as a whole to the process of decision making rather than just focusing on specific issues and challenges. The environmental protection essay writing will give a more precise overview of this approach. The ecosystems approach aims to support the better transferring of information, develop strategies that can resolve conflicts, and improve regional conservation. This approach has played a major role in protecting the environment. This approach also says that religions also play an important role in the conservation of the environment.

International Environmental Agreements

In the present scenario, many of the Earth's natural resources have become vulnerable because of humans and their carelessness towards the environment across different countries. As a result of this, many countries and their governments have come into different agreements to reduce the human impact on the natural environment and protect it from getting deterioration. Through this environmental protection essay in English, one will get a much clearer view on this matter particularly.

The agreements made between different governments of various countries are known as International Environmental Agreements. This agreement includes factors such as climate, oceans, rivers, and air pollution. These agreements are sometimes legally bound, and in case they are not followed, it may lead to some legal implications. These agreements have a long history with some multinational agreements that were made in the year 1910 in Europe, America, and Africa. Some of the most well-known international agreements are the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Through this environmental protection essay, it is clear that governments are taking steps to solve the environmental issue, but it is not enough.

A Short Paragraph on Environmental Protection in English

Earth is a beautiful place to live in, with the most favorable environmental conditions for living beings. But we humans are making it vulnerable and are destroying our own homes with activities that are causing pollution at an increased rate. In this protecting the environment essay, 200 words will be explained properly on how to save the environment.

Environmental protection has become the need of the hour as it is getting destroyed each day. So, governments are making policies and are coming into agreements with other countries to come up with strategies that can protect the environment. Some companies also have the same aim of protecting the environment from the activities of humans.

In this short article on environmental protection, it is clear that if sudden steps are not taken then, our future generation will have to live in a polluted environment that is conserved very conserve difficult. Environmental protection is the key to a safe and secure future with a beautiful environment to live in. 

With pollution increasing each year and causing deterioration of the natural environment, it has become necessary to take steps to protect the natural environment. As we know that the reason for all these problems is humans, governments should make policies to restrict their activities that are causing harm to the environment. If they are not stopped urgently, then the world might see some catastrophic destruction in the coming years. For example, climate change has been a huge problem, and this is one of the causes of increased pollution. A secured future depends on the environment as a whole.

FAQs on Environmental Protection Essay

1. What are International Environmental Agreements?

International environmental agreements are legal contracts between countries that discuss the protection of the environment to provide better living to present and future generations. These include issues such as climate, oceans, rivers, air pollution, etc. we should always consider that if we harm our environment, then it can affect us as well, and we will become more vulnerable. If we do not take action now, it might get a lot worse. We need to be the generation that starts taking care of our planet and future generations!

2. What is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is one of the most well-known and successful international environmental agreements that has been made in the past to protect the environment. This agreement between countries was made to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases which are causing damage to the ozone layer and climate change. With the help of Kyoto, protocol countries have reduced emission rates by 8% and are planning to reduce them more so that future generations can live in a healthy environment in which they can flourish.

3. What is the Paris Agreement?

The Paris Agreement was made in 2015 to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and to stop climate change. This agreement is very important as it includes every country in the world, and all have agreed to work together to stop climate change. This is a huge step forward as it means that everyone is now working together to try to save our planet. If we try to solve these problems together, then we will have a chance to save our planet.

4. What is the Green Climate Fund?

The Green Climate Fund comes from an agreement made in 2010 to provide money for developing countries that are going through issues such as deforestation and air pollution by making them more sustainable. This fund has a goal of collecting 100 billion dollars by 2020 for supporting developing countries. If this can happen, then many lives can be saved, and we will be able to see a lot of positive changes in the coming years and decades so that we can see an improved environment.

5. What are some activities that harm the Environment?

Some activities that harm the environment include burning fossil fuels, deforestation, air pollution, and wastewater discharge. These activities harm not only the environment but also humans, and we must take action now to reduce the impact which we are causing. For example, the burning of fossil fuels is one of the main reasons for climate change and air pollution, which both have a huge impact on humans. If we stop these activities, then it will be a lot better for everyone!

6. How can we protect the Environment?

Environmental protection is very much required in today's time. Some of the ways to protect the environment are to reduce, reuse, recycle, conserve water, save electricity, clean up the community, educate people on pollution, conserve water, preserve soil, tree plantation, use long-lasting bulbs, and plant trees. Heaven these are the ways which help us to protect the environment from getting polluted.

7.  Why is Environmental Protection Important?

The ecosystem in which we live provides the natural services that are very much important to humans and other species for health, quality of life, and survival. So to protect that, environmental protection is very important. Hence, governments of various countries should make strategies to protect our natural environment from getting polluted.

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Environmental Protection Essay Examples

Understanding environmental science: the study of our planet.

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field of study that focuses on understanding the natural world and the relationships between living organisms and their environment. The importance of environmental science is undeniable and in the essay we will analyse significance of this science and also we...

Environmental Invaders: Impact and Management

Environmental invaders, commonly referred to as invasive species, represent a pressing concern in the realm of ecology and environmental conservation. These organisms, often originating from distant lands, establish themselves in ecosystems where they are not native. Their introduction can lead to a cascade of negative...

Environmental Stakeholders: Guardians of Our Planet's Future

The fate of our planet hangs in a delicate balance, and at the forefront of the battle to preserve it stand the environmental stakeholders. This essay delves into the pivotal role of environmental stakeholders, exploring their diverse identities, collaborative efforts, and the indispensable contributions they...

Discussion of Social and Environmental Justice for Our Future

The strong link between social and environmental justice can be used to secure a sustainable and just future for our world. This essay will argue that by reshaping participation and procedural injustice, we can secure the capabilities required to flourish now and in the future....

The Link Between Virtue Ethics and Environment Protection

The world needs more good people, end of story. In a time where it seems like all you see is acts of hate and violence on the news, it is our job to be better. Murdoch states that being a “good” moral person is uncovered...

Applying Bronfenbrenner's Theory in Ecological Systems

The Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner, examines the influence of multiple environmental systems on human development. These systems, including the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem, are all examined individually, as applied in the case of Pumi, a young girl whose situation...

Creative Ways to Save the Environment

Why save the environment? Most times when we hear the words “save the environment”our thoughts takes us as far as flying around earths atmosphere with a Gucci designed cape to rescue those experiencing a natural or man made disaster, to rescue the bank from robbers...

Equality and Its Significance

The declaration of independence is the most important document for the United States. It is the foundation of what the United States is made about. In every government system there is going to be problems and here in the United States where most people are...

College Students for Change

College Students for Change is a student-led group seeking to eradicate the pollution of common resources. The pollution of common resources extends mainly to that of air and water (Meyer). This is an increasingly pressing issue in America, especially without the support of the current...

Species Extinction: Hard Times Require Hard Decisions

Science’s Compass’, “Can We Defy Nature’s End” (“Defy”) and Nature’s, “Has the Earth’s Sixth Mass Extinction Already Arrived?” (“Extinction”) scrutinize the decreasing biodiversity that is an indictment of a sixth mass extinction event, albeit from two uniquely different angles. “Defy” argues of the practical measures...

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