PRESENTORS

Kinza Ul Eman
&
Momina Sheikh
Social issues and the
environment, unsustainable
to sustainable development-
What is a Social Issue?
 A social issue (also called a social problem or a social
illness) refers to an issue that influences and is opposed by
a considerable number of individuals within a society.
 It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an
individual's control and local geographical environment.
Social issues and the environment
Human beings interacts both with the social world and
nature.
Both, economic development and stable environment
are required for the continual improvement of lifestyle
and living standards.
But until now, the development was human oriented and
limited to rich nations.
The development was achieved by damaging the
environment and over exploitation of natural resources
which were non renewable.
That caused instability of environment and crossed the
threshold limit of environmental damage.
Environmental issues may present
themselves
Air emissions and air quality
Energy use and conservation
Wastewater and water quality
Hazardous materials use
Wastes
Land contamination
Biodiversity and natural resources
Labor and working conditions
Overpopulation

 Environmental and Social problem

 Human population is growing like never before.

 We are now adding one billion people to the planet every 12
years. That's about 220,000 per day.
Problems

 It includes shortages of all our resources, war and social

conflict,
 Limits on personal freedom,
 Overcrowding and
 the health and survival of other species.
Urban Problems Related to Energy
 Modern Cooking:
Done by using Kerosene Oil, LPG, natural gas
Consumes large amount of fossil fuels.
 Urban Transport:
Congestion, Waste of time, Air Pollution
Food shortage
 One billion people, one out of every seven people alive, go to
bed hungry.
 Every day, 25,000 people die of malnutrition and hunger-
related diseases.
 Almost 18,000 of them are children under 5 years old
HOW TO SOLVE THESE SOCIAL
ENVIROMENTAL
ISSUES ?

?
FROM UNSTABLE TO
SUSTAINABLE
 It is well recognized now that the rich nations of the world
consume resources, especially the non-renewable resources
like coal and oil at a break-neck pace.

 It is now recognized that this model of Growth and

Development is Unsustainable and should be addressed.
FROM UNSTABLE TO
SUSTAINABLE
 Sustainable Development requires that for any activity that
brings about economic Growth,
 Corresponding environmental impact must be studied.
 And negative aspects should be addressed.
 Sustainable development can be defined as “meeting the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.”

 Sustainable development is the effective use of resource for

economic development while preserving the environment and
ecosystem so that not only the needs of presents are fulfilled
but also for the future generations.

 Sustainable development also interlinks the development and

carrying capacity of environment and ecosystem.
 It aims at optimum use of natural resources
True sustainable development
 with high degree of sustained, minimum wastage, least generation of
toxic by products and maximum productivity.
Inter generational equity
 We should minimize any adverse impacts on resources and
environment for future generation.
Intra generational equity
 Technological development of rich countries should support
economic growth of poor countries and lead to sustainability.
Measures of Sustainable
Development

Using appropriate technology

3-R Approach
Promoting environmental education
awareness
 Population stabilization
Conservation of nonrenewable
resources
Usage of renewable resources
 How to achieve sustainable
development?
The following four rules can be defined as the key mantras of
sustainability. These four rules are
 Reduce our dependency on heavy metals and fossil fuels such as coal, oil and
natural gas.

 Reduce our dependency on synthetic chemicals.

 Reduce our destruction of nature - includes clearing of forest and natural

habitats for human needs.

 Ensure that we don’t stop people from meeting their needs in order to achieve
environmental sustainability. We must maintain a balance between
environmental and economic sustainability.
 Place more emphasis on pollution prevention and waste reduction.
 Recycle and reuse as many waste products and resources possible.
 Make more goods that last longer and easy to use, recycle and
repair.
 Depend on renewable source of energy, sun wind, biomass, flowing
water, geo thermal and tidal.
Sustainable Development
 Sustain Earths Biodiversity with emphasis on protecting vital habitats of the
wild species.

 Use potentially renewable resources such as wastes soil, plants, animals no

faster than they are renewed.

 Increase the usage of non renewable resources to minimize the resource

depletion at a faster rate.

 Earth Degrading activities should be discouraged

 Reduce poverty and rate of population growth

FOOD PRODUCTION
 Food production and distribution could catch up if our
population stopped growing and dropped to a sustainable
level.
The Quest for the “Greener”
Alternative:
 Rather, new, more environmentally-friendly fuel sources
seem to be the more effective, although challenging, answer.
The Quest for the “Greener”
Alternative:
 In order for empirical change to come about decreasing the
world’s reliance on crude oil, there must be a combination of
governmental and social response.
 Governmental response is needed in the forms of laws and
policies that channel funds into the research and design of
oil-independent and more energy-efficient products.
The Quest for the “Greener”
Alternative:
 Moreover, government regulation and legislation have
significant effects on the growth of the market through taxation,
price regulation and trade agreements and may be able to
stimulate investment in alternative fuels.
 The government can also create policies that protect our
environment from excess drilling by expanding the restrictions
on drilling locations.
 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
ISSUES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
 Environmental Ethics deals with the rights of people and
other Living things that are fundamental to their existence.
Should there be huge disparity in the use of natural Resources
between Rich nations and Poor nations and between rich people
and poor people?
 People with Traditional Life styles have the right to live in the
way they choose.

 Even when nature is “recreated’’ poor is often excluded.

Degradation of
energy quality in
living system
 Step function
Greater
Uranium the no of steps in energy conversion,
A
miningthe energy
lower Uranium efficiency Transmission
Power plant Resistance
(95%) processing & of electricity
transport heating

Uranium 100% 95% 54% 17%

14% 14%

Waste heat Waste heat Cumulative net

Waste heat Waste heat efficiency

B
Solar
Energy 90%
100%
Waste heat
Don’t use high quality energy to do a job that
can be done with low quality energy

Change the system from throwaway society

to sustainable earth society
Switching from harmful nonrenewable energy
resources to less harmful renewable energy sources.
REFERENCES
 Social Issues and The Environment
Available at :
http://www.setju.ac.in/Environmental_Studies/Text/Social_Issues_and_the_Environment
_Unit_6/env_studies.pdf
Accessed on 19th May 2014

 Overpopulation: Environmental and Social problems

Available Online at http://howmany.org/environmental_and_social_ills.php
Acessed on 19th May 2014

 Environmental and Social Issues

firstforsustainability.org/risk-management/understanding-environmental-and-social-
risk/environmental-and-social-issues/any.org/environmental_and_social_ills.phplable at
http://howmany.org/environmental_and_social_ills.php
REFERENCES
 Oil Industry
Available at https://web.duke.edu/soc142/team9/SEF.html
Accessed on 19th May 2014