Environmental Science Phase 1(IP)

Running Head : Sustainable Development

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Sustainable development is a very important concept in human life as well as the entire living things . Sustainable development entails that we are using the available resources to meet our current needs , without making the future generation unable to meet their needs . Sustainable development is more tied with the social challenges that human beings constantly faces . Furthermore , we cannot base sustainable development only to environmental issues , but it rather entails social and economic issues

Looking at the

arguments based on the Easter Island civilization , it is when we can know the importance of sustainable development . There have been many versions given explaining how the Island became distinct , but the most recent research indicates that the people on the Island destroyed their own life when they started deforestation (Butler , 2005 The native Easter Islanders were surrounded by many types of vegetation with big trees that are evidenced by the statues and canoes found in the region . The society was self sustaining in terms of firewood , and other resources found in the forest . However , with time , there was a complete new complex social structure that developed . There was the development of a centralized form of government and religious leaders emerged (Butler , 2005

Due to the civilization cases , the Islanders started to build the statues , by the use of forest trees like the palm , and with time , the palm was no more . Therefore , when the palm tree became extinct , the Islanders were unable to make canoes that took them to the look for food in the ocean they turned to the animals on the land for their food These animals also started to reduce in numbers and with time , they became extinct . There were animals that were important in helping the pollination of the seeds of some of the trees and other vegetations , but as these animals were extinct , there was no pollination , and the trees seeds could not be dispersed , also making many tree species extinct With no forests , there was no rain , and many other crops could not germinate while the soil lost fertility . The people turned to grass as a substitute for wood fuel . With all this and above all no food , the Islanders were faced with starvation , and with time the society 's population was wiped out

Taking this whole story , we see that the entire problem started just because of deforestation , but the effect was enormous . This is exactly what is happening to the Amazon forests and if the steps are not taken we can see the impact that might be caused considering the population that depends on this forest . Therefore , it is important to note how useful it is to have our natural resources used in a good way to avoid losing quality of life . This can be attained by having good governance policies that will ensure that our natural resources are protected from a few greedy people who might not think of the future generation , but rather...