ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

Environmental Conservation

Environmental Conservation

Chapter 5: Question 1

“Since the federal government owns and manages 30% of the nation's land, there is little need for additional land conservation.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain why.

The federal government owns and manages 30% of the nation's land, yet there is more need for additional land conservation. Land provides the foundation from which important ecological functions take place. Simply put, the land is essential for human and animal life. The need for land conservation is a basic necessity for those in the region's most affected by human activities of hunting, deforestation and industrial hazard dumping. Most of the activities causing this degeneration in nature started between 1000 and 2000 AD. The land being an important source of food crops and animal habitation, the issue of land conservation is of primary importance in the context of healthy survival.

Rapid population growth and expansion of agriculture and industry have contributed to environmental degradation, especially in the coastal areas (Randolph, 2004). Under conditions of water scarcity and intensive development, the decline in water quality is a critical problem. The main causes of groundwater pollution are chemical fertilizers, pesticides, the penetration of sea water and domestic and industrial wastewater. It has given high priority to wastewater treatment to prevent its effects on the environment and public health and to develop an additional source of water for agricultural irrigation.

Factors affecting air quality include energy production, transport and industry - all three have increased dramatically in recent years. The use of low sulfur fuel for energy production has helped significantly reduce sulfur dioxide concentrations, but emissions of pollutants associated with increased vehicular traffic have increased significantly. They have introduced unleaded gasoline, catalytic converters and diesel low sulfur content to mitigate the problem. A system of national surveillance provides updated information about air quality around the country.

The management of hazardous substances from "cradle to grave" is based on subjecting all aspects of their production, use, treatment and disposal to obtain permits, regulation and supervision. The emphasis on law enforcement, development of a national preparedness plan for coordinated emergency response to accidents, and improving the national dump toxic wastes will minimize potential hazards to health and the environment (Aillery, 2006).

The first priority in field is the rigorous enforcement of environmental laws, along with education, from kindergarten through college. The audience helps to enforce environmental laws preventing littering and ensuring the welfare of animals. Citizens are empowered to report violations of applicable laws. They are increasingly using economic instruments to promote environmental quality, whether in the form of financial benefits to industries that invests in pollution prevention or in the form of taxes and fines for polluters. They invest efforts in resource conservation and pollution prevention in all economic sectors.

Chapter 5: Question 2

Non-government non-profit organizations are playing an increasingly important role in environmental management. Groups such as The Nature Conservancy have had considerable success establishing preservation areas for important habitats. Briefly, list and explain three of the tools ...